Successful Applicant Stats Class of 2016

Since I don't need to wait to hear from the other schools I applied to since I got into my number 1 first , I'll get this thread started

First time applicant, 25 years old, Female, Ohio resident.
Applied: Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Tennessee
Apps withdrawn: Wisconsin and Tennessee
Still waiting: None
Interview: Ohio State
Accepted: Ohio State c/o 2016!

Cum GPA @ time of application: 3.99
Last 45 credit hrs: 4.0
Science GPA @ time of application: 4.0
GRE: 1280. 730q, 550v, 5.0 AW

Veterinary Experience:
-765 hours working at a small animal emergency clinic as a vet assistant (on VMCAS, but I continued working there after submitting and got over 1000 hours there total)
-120 hours shadowing at a small animal clinic
-20 hours shadowing a traveling small animal vet
-7 hours shadowing an equine vet (yes, I put it on VMCAS even though it was only 7 hours, the clinic was 2 hours from my house and she only accepted people interested in equine to shadow more than once, but she let non equine people come out for one day if they'd like to get a feel for it, so that's what I did.

Animal Experience:
-7300 hours wildlife rehabilitation at my own non-profit that I set up. I take in about 150 animals a year and am the sole caretaker of all of them. Wildlife rehab is what led me to vet medicine! I absolutely love wildlife rehab with all my heart!
-600 hours volunteering at a petting zoo that had all kinds of exotics (bobcat, camels, zebra-crosses, prairie dogs, kangaroo, and then more typical goats, sheep, and horses)
-40 hours working as a kennel assistant while the owner went on vacation
-I also have at least 1000 hours in wildlife rehab volunteering and completing an internship at a wildlife center, but I put it under community activities so the hours weren't recorded.


Extracurricular/Community Activities:
-I listed the volunteering at the wildlife center in this section but was actually animal experience
-Ranger Kid Commander at my church (similar to boy scouts).

eLORS:
-1 vet from the SA emergency clinic I was a vet assistant at
-The small animal traveling vet
-One of my biology professors from undergrad that I go birdwatching with each spring, he's been trying to talk me into grad school for years so he was very eager to write me an elor.

Awards and Honors:
-High school valedictorian
-Dean's list every semester
-Softball MVP- just a community league, but I listed it anyways
-Excellence in Science award (awarded to one graduating senior and nominated by the professors)
-Graduated Summa Cum Laude with my bachelor's of science degree at the age of 18 (I was a post-secondary student and completed three years of college in my last 2 years of high school and then finished up the year after graduating high school)

I am so excited to be going to Ohio State .

Congrats on boosting your hours Squirrels. If I remember correctly you had to really scrounge for vet hours for this cycle, so it is impressive that you managed to get so many. I am also really impressed that you have your own rehab place! That must be such a challenge, but so rewarding too.

Congratulations on getting in!

Thanks . I was scrounging for hours when I first thought about applying, but then I quit my job at the electronics place and got a job at an emergency clinic as a vet assistant. Worked there full time Feb-Nov . I still work some weekends and am grateful for the experience, but it wasn't the most pleasant place to work

The rehabbing is a ton of work and was my main concern last year because I didn't want to give it up, but needed vet hours, but the job switch did the trick. I managed to still take in 130 animals this past year on top of taking 3 classes (2 spring and 1 fall class) and working full time. It's a lot of work, but I love it so much! No babies now that it's winter and I miss rehabbing sooooooooooooooooooooo much. Soon we'll be in full swing with baby creatures again though . Giving up rehabbing is gonna be the hardest part of vet school for me.

Originally Posted by squirrelsrule

Since I don't need to wait to hear from the other schools I applied to since I got into my number 1 first , I'll get this thread started

Congrats, SR. :-) It warms my little cold heart to see people whose PSs I read/critiqued getting in. :-)

Originally Posted by LetItSnow

Congrats, SR. :-) It warms my little cold heart to see people whose PSs I read/critiqued getting in. :-)

I suppose I will post here as well since I sent my acceptance letter back to CSU yesterday!

Second time applicant, Colorado resident
Applied: Colorado, UC Davis, Kansas, Washington State, Edinburgh, RVC, Massey
Interview offers: Washington (declined), Kansas (offered after I received a rejection- I declined because I got in at CSU)
Still waiting: Davis, RVC, Apparently Massey didn't get my supplemental paper though I will be withdrawing my application (EDIT: withdrew Massey and RVC, denied Davis)
Accepted: Colorado and Edinburgh
Attending: CSU

Cum GPA: 3.6 (I stated 3.59 on the "What are my chances" thread, but one of my professors made a mistake entering my grades, so I actually graduated with a 3.6- not that .1% means much...)
Last 45 credit hrs: 3.55
Science GPA: did not have to calculate for the places I applied
GRE: 1st round 470 V, 530 Q, 3.5 A 2nd 580 V, 590 Q, 4 A (I stink at math and standardized tests)

Veterinary Experience:
- 6 hr observing equine recognition of pregnancy study
- 1020 hr experience in research lab under a veterinarian where we work with horses, mice, and sheep doing everything from palpating, placing intra-cranial catheters, notching and weening mice litters,and ovariectomizing sheep
-15 hr equine
- 340 hr spay and neuter clinics
- 1106 hr small/exotic clinic
- 7 hr zoo in France (I got to take a lion's temperature!)
- 45 hr small animal vet that specialized in physical rehab
- 2 hr bison embryo transfer

Animal Experience:
- ~ 5000 hr shelter experience (worked and volunteered at several shelters since I was 12)
- 50 hr kennel technician
- 7 hr rescuing baby sea turtles in Mexico
- 80 hr wildlife conservation in Costa Rica monitoring poison dart frogs and bottlenose and spotted dolphins
- 10 hr preparing piglets for 4H

Employment:
- Research associate
- barista
- orientation leader
- Research lab tech

Extracurriculars:
- 3yr volunteering for the Colorado Winter Special Olympics
- pre-vet club
- craft club
- many,many, many other random volunteer activities

eLORS:
- Vet from my current research lab
- Physics Professor
- Co-director of the animal shelter I work at on weekends
- The PI and former head of the department of the lab I worked in through undergrad (she had a phD so I couldn't list any of those hours under vet experience)

I decided not to waive my right to see their LORs because when I was denied last year I was told who wrote good letters and who only wrote OK ones. However my vet was a little offended by this.

Awards and Honors:
-Deans list several semesters
- co-valedictorian at my high school
- NIH fellowship for research
- jewelry design scholarship
- volunteer awards
- other random things

I was able to double my vet experience hours between the last time I applied and this round. It was also mostly large animal related which CSU told me I was lacking last year (only had about 6 ). I decided not to do a Masters program in my year off because I figured my gpa was fine. I also decided not to re-take the GRE though it might have been smart if I had. Oh well... I am SO excited to be on the road to being a VET!

Short time lurker (actually just found out about this place a few weeks ago!), but I also accepted my CSU offer!

Colorado Resident, first-time applicant
Applied: CSU only
Interview offers: None - CSU doesn't do them (silent yays have commenced)
Accepted: wait for it...CSU! No way.
Attending: Also the one and only CSU. Finishing up undergrad this year in Equine Sciences.

Cum GPA: 3.54
Last 45 credit hrs: 3.75
Science GPA: no idea (didn't have to worry about it)
I want to note here, since it doesn't really show on my GPA: I failed general chemistry- like, I took an F in the class failed. I took it my freshman year and with an extreme lack of study skills, combined with my personal hatred and general incompetency in chemistry as a whole, it was overwhelming. I ended up with something like a 2.7 GPA at the end of my first semester- I got at least one C in another (non-science) class, and some Bs. I ended up re-taking the class as a repeat-delete option, worked my tail off, and ended up with a B. So, obviously, it's not the end of the world if you don't start off well - just show that you can keep getting better.

GRE: V 560 Q 580 A 5.0


Veterinary Experience:
~ 1900 hrs working as a research lab assistant/chores person deluxe for a vet involved in research on Equine Herpesvirus-1 Myeloencephalopathy. Great experience, but the (extremely extensive) undergrad thesis I did on it killed me. I really, really hope I never have to count viral plaques under a scope again.
However, I'm going to miss the kick out of answering the question "Do you have herpes now because of your research?" with whatever will make people . Hahaha.
~ 300 hrs learning (as a client) more than I wanted to know about equine lameness as my horse has struggled through a 3-year chronic problem that we can't figure out. I was a little on the fence about putting this on my application since it was on my own animal, but apparently it wasn't an issue.
~ 60 hrs performing small animal vaccinations/field healthcare with a variety of vets in Soweto, South Africa as part of a study abroad program. Also had the ability to participate in game darting exercises and treatment of a pride of lions and a hurt wildebeest in other parts of the same country.
- 20 hrs shadowing my hometown equine field vets throughout middle school and high school.
- 10 hrs checking vitals at a very hot, very loonnnggg eventing trial.


Animal Experience:
~ 4000 hrs as a 4-H and horse show junkie child throughout middle and high school. I showed my horses fairly extensively (through breed shows as well) and had a market lamb project for quite a few years.
~ 1000 hrs working as a wrangler (aka listing reasons why one could not ride a horse in high heels/miniskirts/with umbrellas/if under 1 year of age...true stories, all of them) for a trail-ride business
- 300 hrs as a team member of my university's ranch horse versatility club - I showed for 2 years.
- 120 hrs on the univ's horse judging team.
- 50 hrs attending lectures/hands on workshops for the pre-vet club.


Employment:
- organic farm worker
- movie theater concessions slave
(the rest were listed under animal/vet experience)


Extracurriculars:
- Volunteer at a rural hospital in Tanzania, East Africa (long story, I spent a year of my childhood there and it was on a return visit)
- A whole bunch of random crap including Pre-Vet Club, 4-H show ring steward, volunteering for the horse judging team/ranch horse team/5ks/local triathlons and my avid interests in bouldering and ski racing among other outdoor ways of breaking oneself.


eLORS:
- Vet from my research lab
- Vet/Prof from my Equine Disease/Nutrition classes (I also was a teaching assistant for her)
- Employer/Owner of the trail ride stables I worked at


Awards and Honors:
- Deans list for a few semesters here and there
- Colorado Youth Ambassador for my horse-show breed club affiliation
- Member Excellence Award - same horse club
- A whole crapload of 4-H scholarships
- College Honors for poster presentation of my research projects
- Honors Scholarships/Awards (one I got for my South Africa experience)

I have a large interest in international vet med (and rural vet med) due to some experiences I had as a kid in Tanzania - I've been to Africa 3 times now and its so interesting to me to compare the quality of animal healthcare between the US and Tanzania/South Africa.


Honestly, I really wasn't sure if I would get in this cycle - I've always had the vet med dream but you all know how it is, especially given the fact I only applied to CSU, first application cycle, yada yada all that crap. Looking back, I probably should have applied to more schools, but my heart wouldn't have been broken if I didn't get in the first year. I had a few ideas as far as maybe pursuing an MPH etc, and then applying the year after to a bunch more schools.
However, it worked out, I saved a ton of money on applications, and I'm getting in-state tuition, so go me?!

Edited because I'm apparently brain-damaged when it comes to posting things on the internet.

Foxtrot I bet I know you through the pre-vet club or anatomy last year ( I TA'd it). Now I am really curious about who you are Oh well I guess I will figure it out at orientation.

Originally Posted by foxtrotvet

~ 1900 hrs working as a research lab assistant/chores person deluxe for a vet involved in research on Equine Herpesvirus-1 myeloencephalopathy.

Was your PI the head of the dept? 'Cause I've prob seen you around if that's the case.

Originally Posted by Fireflysushi

I decided not to waive my right to see their LORs because when I was denied last year I was told who wrote good letters and who only wrote OK ones.

Congrats on your acceptance!!! This is actually something I was wondering about - if I did not waive my right to see my letters, at what point CAN I see those letters? haha

Originally Posted by mooshagen

Congrats on your acceptance!!! This is actually something I was wondering about - if I did not waive my right to see my letters, at what point CAN I see those letters? haha

You can see those after you have been accepted. Makes a lot of sense, right?

Hi, ASUprevet! This is a pretty common thread that appears after every application cycle.

For some, it's good to see the individual stats of those who've received offers rather than looking at general averages per school, etc.

I found the previous years threads very helpful in showing me where I was deficient when it came to my application and to give me ideas as to how to improve.

I think if you look at the previous threads, you'll see that there's a lot more "holy crap I can't believe I got in with my GPA/GRE/experience/whatever!" than there is bragging or back-patting!

Originally Posted by sooprnova

Hi, ASUprevet! This is a pretty common thread that appears after every application cycle.

For some, it's good to see the individual stats of those who've received offers rather than looking at general averages per school, etc.

I found the previous years threads very helpful in showing me where I was deficient when it came to my application and to give me ideas as to how to improve.

I think if you look at the previous threads, you'll see that there's a lot more "holy crap I can't believe I got in with my GPA/GRE/experience/whatever!" than there is bragging or back-patting!

Okay, I guess I can see the value for other pre-vet students. Sorry if I came across as brash. Best of luck to everyone!

TT and ARC, you two are inspiring... I too am one of the low gpa'ers. My cumulative is not awesome, my science is not great, but my last 45 is super. I'm taking 3 science classes this semester (online) AND working full + part time. I've got my work cut out for me, but I'm determined to post here next year if this cycle doesn't work out for me. ARC- how does CSU feel about applicants moving to CO just to establish residency?? I know some schools frown upon this. Also, TT, did you move to OK to establish residency or are you actually from there??

Sorry that I am not actually contributing to the topic of this thread!!!

I really like this thread. It gives me hope for future applications. I def admire ARC99 and everyone else who has gotten in.

I hope next year I can impact my GPA enough to make me a competitive applicant.
I am super scared by taking 14 credits and working 21-30 ish hours a week. Independently, school and work zap me of energy... but I need to continue to get good grades so I can get into school and have better employment in the future... but then I need to work a lot to pay for school... I feel like there is no wining.

Does anyone have recommendations as to how they balanced so much school and work simultaneously? I know I have to do it if I want to have a chance at getting in next year.

Originally Posted by Virginger

I really like this thread. It gives me hope for future applications. I def admire ARC99 and everyone else who has gotten in.

I hope next year I can impact my GPA enough to make me a competitive applicant.
I am super scared by taking 14 credits and working 21-30 ish hours a week. Independently, school and work zap me of energy... but I need to continue to get good grades so I can get into school and have better employment in the future... but then I need to work a lot to pay for school... I feel like there is no wining.

Does anyone have recommendations as to how they balanced so much school and work simultaneously? I know I have to do it if I want to have a chance at getting in next year.

I'm in the same boat with work and school right now and honestly, as much as it sucks, I've had to take out student loans to pay for school so I'm not so stressed financially.

Sorry, know this is off topic. PM me if you want to talk (or gripe lol) some more.

Originally Posted by Virginger

Does anyone have recommendations as to how they balanced so much school and work simultaneously? I know I have to do it if I want to have a chance at getting in next year.

During one semester I took 16 credit hours and worked about 30 hours a week on top at three separate places. It was extremely stressful and I was sick almost almost every month that semester. It was really hard to stay on top of my studies, but I think the trick is to plan out your time. I would get home and collapse on the couch to de-stress sometimes, but then wouln't get any studying done, so I would stress even more later. When I made a plan like wake up an hour earlier and go to the gym, and study for two hours when you get home THEN watch TV/ de-stress, I think I stayed on top of things better. I also think it's important to be able to say no. If someone at work asks you to do something extra, you have to be able to say "No thanks I have to study". And finally I think it's really important to get enough sleep. No matter what I got 8 hours of sleep a night. I refused to pull all nighters because I knew I wouldn't retain any of the information. Once I noticed my attention slipping I would call it a night and go to bed.

Getting and using a planner (paper not electronic) is also something that really helps plan out your day to use the time to the fullest.

Originally Posted by jemappellejane

Also, TT, did you move to OK to establish residency or are you actually from there??

Born and raised. Although it's not a bad choice for gaining IS status and tuition. You just have to work full time while you are here for a year, I think.

Originally Posted by jemappellejane

ARC- how does CSU feel about applicants moving to CO just to establish residency?? I know some schools frown upon this.

As far as I can tell, they don't care one iota. I also moved to CO to establish residency and have been here for less than a year (will be over a year when I matriculate) and was accepted as well as granted in state sponsorship no questions asked. If you are 23 or over it is really easy to establish residency in CO. You just have to stay on top of "proving intent to stay." This really means change of address, getting a state drivers license, registering your car in the state, and paying income tax to the state when you get a job. I did not have a paying job yet when I applied, so I couldn't even claim that, but I made sure I had the right dates on all of the other paperwork.

I think it is not a big deal to CSU because a ton of people here in CO are transplants, and as far as I can tell, CO is so awesome that everyone just stays here I know I plan to.

Someone else should chime in if you think I am totally off base.

Originally Posted by Chebanse

As far as I can tell, they don't care one iota. I also moved to CO to establish residency and have been here for less than a year (will be over a year when I matriculate) and was accepted as well as granted in state sponsorship no questions asked. If you are 23 or over it is really easy to establish residency in CO. You just have to stay on top of "proving intent to stay." This really means change of address, getting a state drivers license, registering your car in the state, and paying income tax to the state when you get a job. I did not have a paying job yet when I applied, so I couldn't even claim that, but I made sure I had the right dates on all of the other paperwork.

I think it is not a big deal to CSU because a ton of people here in CO are transplants, and as far as I can tell, CO is so awesome that everyone just stays here I know I plan to.

Someone else should chime in if you think I am totally off base.

Originally Posted by jemappellejane

ARC- how does CSU feel about applicants moving to CO just to establish residency?? I know some schools frown upon this.

Chebanse is right...
I moved here in 2006, then moved around a bit from 2007-2009 (Army), but then moved back in 2009 for good. Yes, you do need to get a CO drivers license, register your vehicle (which is SUPER expensive...mine was $600 this year!!!), and pay income tax if you have a job. Oh, and have a CO address, of course. It's pretty easy to get IS here and there really isn't a defined "time period" that you have to live here before you do (at least I don't think there is), but you just have to get all of the above mentioned things done before you apply.

If you know for sure that CSU is where you want to be, then I'd move! CSU has the largest # of OOS applicants so you're competing against ~1300+ people for ~40 spots! When you're IS, you're going up against ~250+ people for ~75 spots. That's why I moved here...I knew my application wouldn't hold a candle in the OOS pool. In fact, Sherry Stewart actually recommended that I move here when I started my research on each school. Same thing at Tennessee when I had a file review with the dean there. He said verbatim, "If you were actually an in-state resident, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now because you'd be in." But, I just liked CO better than KnoxAngeles.

PM me if you have any ?s about it and I'd be happy to discuss it further with you! CO is an awesome place and I am so glad that everything worked out well for me in the end!

Edit: I was not in the Army...my SO was, so we moved around a bit while he was stationed in TN...that's the only reason I moved away from CO initially.

Originally Posted by jemappellejane

TT and ARC, you two are inspiring... I too am one of the low gpa'ers. My cumulative is not awesome, my science is not great, but my last 45 is super. I'm taking 3 science classes this semester (online) AND working full + part time. I've got my work cut out for me, but I'm determined to post here next year if this cycle doesn't work out for me. ARC- how does CSU feel about applicants moving to CO just to establish residency?? I know some schools frown upon this. Also, TT, did you move to OK to establish residency or are you actually from there??

Sorry that I am not actually contributing to the topic of this thread!!!

Jemappellejane--

I agree! They are an inspiration to me as well. I am also a low gpa'er. My undergrad was not chosen by me or at a time that I wanted (I initially wanted to wait a yr before college). Consequently, youth and stupidity took over. I had a crappy chem teacher in high school and thought I was hopeless. It really shook my self-confidence as I had always done okay in school. The one thing I did like about my undergrad was all the time I got to spend with horses as part of my degree. I had always been entranced with them and it only grew with the more I learned. Unfortunately, I was not wise enough to get that then.

After a near death experience, I decided to go back so I could apply, I chose my school. I knew how hard I would have to work to beat myself. I have worked hard in school and out but have been feeling disheartened lately. Next cycle will be my third application and I feel like I am coming to a crossroads. I am not a spring chicken anymore Time for me to get this show on the road.

Seriously, congrats to everyone getting acceptances!

Originally Posted by squirrelsrule

Way to go Oxygen! Penn saw YOU, that's why they wanted you. They were able to see past your early mistakes in college and gave you a chance to show them how bad you want this. Once they saw that, how could they not accept you!

My PS was kinda like yours, not in that I had anything that destroyed my family, but I went with the emotional side of vet med. rather than my skills and experiences. I used my PS to show how my wildlife experiences (taking in animals on the brink of death and experiencing the joy of release and the heartache of death or euthanasia) brought me to the realization of why I want to be a vet.

Originally Posted by StartingoverVet

Welcome to Penn Oxyjen. Sounds like you definitely belong to me.

Thanks guys You rock. xo

Originally Posted by kaydubs

ASUprevet: totes on board with these two lovelies & Nordi as well!

I don't get to be lovely? :P. (<------ is a lady)

Originally Posted by NordiCat

I don't get to be lovely? :P. (<------ is a lady)

atpatpat: You are ever so lovely! I did not mean to be rude!

Originally Posted by kaydubs

atpatpat: You are ever so lovely! I did not mean to be rude!

I was just teasin' But thanks!

-sigh- i guess i'll post now too since i've pretty much decided on where i'm attending next year

APPLICANT STATS
-1st time applicant, 22 years old, female, Virginia resident (working full time right now after graduating in May 2011)
-interested in SA emergency/critical care as well as shelter medicine
-Applied: Penn, CSU, Tufts, Wisconsin, VMRCVM, UC Davis, Edinburgh, RVC
-Interviewed: Penn, Tufts, VMRCVM (invited, but withdrawn)
-Withdrawn: Wisconsin, VMRCVM (before interview), UC Davis
-Accepted: Penn, Tufts, CSU, Edinburgh, RVC
-Attending: most likely Penn (like 95% certain)

ACADEMICS
-Undergrad Institution: University of Pennsylvania, College of Arts and Sciences
-Academic Rigor: High (grade deflation, tough courseload, employed with work-study jobs + involved in extra curriculars)
-Majors: B.A. in Biology, graduated in May 2011
-Cum GPA: 3.94
-Last 45 credit hrs: 4.00
-Science: did not have to calculate, but I would guess somewhere around 3.9?
-GRE: 750 Q (82%), 590 V (84%), 5.5 AW (96%)

HONORS AND AWARDS
-Graduation with honors (summa cum laude)
-Dean's list all semesters in college
-Recipient of named scholarship from university
-Recipient of 2 scholarships in high school
-Several academic excellence awards in high school
-Director's Honor's List, college level summer program
-DOD Science and Engineering Apprenticeship program, accepted in high school but didn't attend
-NHS (member in high school)
-Letters of Academic Recognition from Virginia Senate/House of Delegates (high school)
-several music awards for piano/violin


VETERINARY EXPERIENCE
-1100 hours as ICU/ER tech at a very large/busy DC metro area specialty referral hospital/emergency center (current job)
-1100 hours as Internal Medicine tech at same hospital
-120 hours as Surgery tech at same hospital
-240 hours as veterinary technician at low cost medical center at DC animal rescue league
-150 hours as research assistant in Dermatology lab at Penn med school
-200 hours as research assistant at Medical Genetics + Pathology lab at Penn vet school
-1000 hours as veterinary assistant at busy general practice in DC

ANIMAL EXPERIENCE
-200 hours as medical center volunteer at DC animal rescue league
-65 hours as lab assistant taking care of frogs for Physiology lab in Penn med school
-200 hours as dog walker for local rescue groups at their adoption events (high school)
-100 hours as horse handler at therapeutic riding center (high school)
-1000 hours riding and taking care of horses since i was 9 years old

OTHER EMPLOYMENT
-320 hours as administrative assistant for the Clinical Studies department at Penn vet school
-350 hours as research assistant for Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society (CIAS) at Ryan Vet Hospital
-50 hours as office assistant at Ryan Vet Hospital behavior clinic

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
-occasional blogger for Penn Appetit Magazine, student run culinary magazine at Penn (college)
-co-president/web master for pre vet club (college)
-treasurer/pre-vet rep for pre health club (college)
-member of baroque ensemble (college - performed chamber music, violin)
-violinist in senior regional/junior district orchestras (high school)
-principal/1st chair of my violin section in my school's orchestra (high school)
-violinist in local youth orchestra (middle/high school)
-violinist in pit orchestra for high school musical productions
-pianist for church choir (high school)

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
-2 veterinarians, both from same specialty clinic, both DACVIM (board certified internists)
-1 veterinarian, from same specialty clinic as above, DACVECC (board certified criticalist), she is my current role model of who i want to be as a vet
-1 veterinarian, from animal shelter's low cost medical clinic, medical director
-1 academic, cancer cell biology professor from senior year of college (favorite professor ever!!! )
-1 from pre-major advisor, she helped me a lot with classes/overall guidance in college during my freshman/sophomore years and we kept in touch my junior/senior years


PERSONAL STATEMENT
I used an instance from my first day in the internal medicine department at the hospital i current work at to illustrate how little i used to know about the profession and throughout my essay showed my growth in what i've learned from the profession as i've gained various experiences over the last few years and how i've realized what i want to do both immediately after school and in the long run. i used my essay to a) display all the variou experiences i've been involved in, b) show my growth as a person. i emphasized how much i just KNEW that this is what i want to do with my life and really wanted the ad coms to know how much i've grown and how much i've learned both from personal experiences with my dog and my various interactions with clients/patients. I had lots of feedback from current vet students (both people i personally know and from a couple members on SDN) as well as my mom, sister, friends from college, and my personal mentors. I can't say enough about the importance of receiving a lot of feedback. you'll get some opinions that you won't really use, but the benefit is that you can combine everything together to get a great essay.

as a side note, i will say that i focused on some gloomy/serious subjects such as euthanasia and a lot of client stuff in my essay, which was noted to be unusual (but not in a bad way).


i feel truly blessed and humbled to have been accepted to so many places this cycle, as a first time applicant, especially when there are so many applicants out there who are absolutely awesome and over qualified. being a part of this forum has helped me so much in the application process, can't thank you guys enough!

Ahhh Sunnex! You rode horses AND played the violin!!!! (I did those things too!) that made me super super excited! I'm sure you are better than me a both HAHA! I played from 6th-12th, but at least I made 1st violin!!!

Already know where I am going So here goes nothing... Not exactly sure what Penn saw in my that was worthwhile but I am eternally grateful.

APPLICANT STATS
-1st time nontraditional applicant, 28 years old, female, NJ resident
-interested in SA (not sure if I want to specialize or not) and especially shelter medicine
-Applied: Penn, Ohio, Minnesota, Auburn, VMRCVM, Cornell, UC Davis, NCSU, Missouri, Mississippi, Florida, Washington, RVC and UC Dublin (14 total)
-Withdrawn: Auburn, Mississippi, Minnesota, VMRCVM
-Waitlisted: Ohio
-Accepted: Penn, RVC
-Attending: UPENN <3

ACADEMICS
-Undergrad Institution: Syracuse University (BSW) - too embarassed to say, but my cum GPA should leave you with some indication
-Graduate Institution: Florida Atlantic Universty (MSW) - Graduated with 3.8 GPA
-Current Institution: Rutgers University - non matriculating (to complete pre-requesites)
-Cum GPA: 3.34
-Last 45 credit hrs: 3.71
-Science: 3.89
-GRE: 730 Q (77%), 450 V (49%), 4.5 AW (67%)

HONORS AND AWARDS
-Graduated Magna Cum Laude from FAU Graduate program
-Dean's list at Syracuse University for some semesters
-National Scholar's Honor Soceity
-Named Who's Who from Florida Atlantic University
-Many awards from competitive 5K and 10K runs
-Horse riding awards


VETERINARY EXPERIENCE
-1800+ hours - 5 doctor practice in south Florida (veterinary technician)
-1200+ hours - shelter medicine (volunteer veterinary technician)
- 55 hours - equine medicine (volunteer veterinary technician)

ANIMAL EXPERIENCE
- 400+ hours kennel attendant (worked my way up to veterinary technician)
- 25 hours - volunteer at an equine rescue
- 15 hours - broiler chickens (project for Rutgers)
- 120+ hours - equine (took care of a 4 horse barn for a friend for a summer)
- Horse rider and lover since I was 4 (6,000+ hours)
- Equine Assisted Therapy - for my Master's program (part of my internship)

OTHER EMPLOYMENT
- Social Work Intern for Community Counseling practice in South Florida
- Behavioral Health Counselor for the Health Care District in South Florida
- Social Work Intern for a residential children's center (JD kids - that was fun!)
- Relationship Counselor (matchmaker - yeah not proud of this one; seeing as I fail miserably at my own relationships)
- Abercrombie & Fitch - retail (summer job through undergraduate college)

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
- Studied abroad in Australia for a summer
- Traveled to Ireland
- Volunteer camp counselor at a nature center in south Florida (traveled to turtle hospitals, wildlife refuges and toured the Everglades... really a lot of fun for me too!)
- Horse riding all of my life (sometimes competitively, sometimes for pleasure)
- House, Pet and Baby sitting (If it needs to be sat, I sit it)
- Powderpuff football
- Fundraising for the shelter I volunteer at
- Member of a sorority
- Lots and lots of 5K's, 10K's (a runner)
- The Zimmerman MS Bike Ride to Key Largo (150 mile, 2 day bike ride)

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
-1 Veterinarian from the 5 doctor practice in South Florida
-1 Veterinarian from the shelter I volunteer
-1 Organic chemistry professor
-1 Associate Dean at Rutgers
All of these people are the most amazing people I have ever met in my life - and have gotten me through some tough times (true mentors and they inspire me to reach the highest of my potential )

PERSONAL STATEMENT
I started out with a significant incident in my experience with the 5 doctor practice and how it affected me - explaining the upside and downside of veterinary medcine. I related the incident to other important times in my life (my father suffered a massive stroke which destroyed our family unit). For the most part, my PS was a chronological map of my life indicating how I evolved from the Master's program and to veterinary medicine; and why I want to be a vet.

I had EVERYONE read it (and I am shy about my writing). Most people told me it pulled at heartstrings, but not in a negative way. Not sure if this is the best route only because PS should not be romantic writing. But it worked for a me a bit, while keeping it practical and straight forward (character space was a HUGE problem for a while). Also, I started EARLY and spent many many months writing it.

I can't thank everyone enough for being so supportive and for believing in me - when I didn't believe in myself. I feel SO fortunate for the friends, family, all the doctors that allowed me to follow them around endlessly and the professors that believed in me. And especially thank you to ALLLLLLL of you for listening to the ranting, raving and being so supportive with the first rejection to the first acceptance

Way to go Oxygen! Penn saw YOU, that's why they wanted you. They were able to see past your early mistakes in college and gave you a chance to show them how bad you want this. Once they saw that, how could they not accept you!

My PS was kinda like yours, not in that I had anything that destroyed my family, but I went with the emotional side of vet med. rather than my skills and experiences. I used my PS to show how my wildlife experiences (taking in animals on the brink of death and experiencing the joy of release and the heartache of death or euthanasia) brought me to the realization of why I want to be a vet.

Welcome to Penn Oxyjen. Sounds like you definitely belong to me.

Originally Posted by StartingoverVet

Sounds like you definitely belong to me.

Congrats oxyjen! But be wary of the creepy old upper classman

(for someone like me who doesn't know HP or Lord of the rings very well, Dobby gets confused with that creature muttering about his precious... So that avatar makes it doubly creepy)

Hi non-traditional applicants! I'm very, very non-traditional and wasn't sure how my application would be received. I had really unimpressive stats from undergrad the first time around (C's in Physics, one B, one B- in Orgo, and assorted C's in other random things), but time, and re-taking pre-reqs really does heal some wounds.


1st time applicant, 34 years old, male, NY resident

Applied: Tufts, Penn, Cornell, Illinois, Minnesota, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Edinburgh, RVC
Interview: Tufts, Penn, Illinois (declined), Minnesota (declined)
Withdrawn: Wisconsin, Tennessee
Accepted: Tufts, Penn, Cornell, Edinburgh, RVC
Attending: Cornell

Undergrad: Vanderbilt University (biology and art history), post-bacc classes at Hunter College, NYC
Law School(!): University of Michigan

Cum GPA (Including law school): 3.66
Last 45 (all science): 4.0
Science: 3.77
GRE: 700 Q, 740 V, 6 AW

Honors/Awards
Dean's List for every semester of post-bacc, plus 5 semesters of undergrad
Cum laude from law school
Pro Bono award at law firm for 100+ hours of pro bono work per year
Notable achievement award for freshman chemistry and mathematics
Contracts award for highest grade in 1st year contracts class in law school
Honors in legal research and writing
Third author credit in research paper for post-bacc work in research lab

Veterinary Experience
850 hours in small animal clinic as veterinary assistant
160 large animal hours in veterinary clinics in India

Animal Experience
70 hours therapeutic horseback riding organization - tacked up, groomed and led horses
40 hours at farm animal sanctuary cleaning stalls for goats, ducks, etc.

Other employment
12,000 hours as securities attorney in NYC
3.5 years as a software consultant

Other stuff:
-Lots of pro bono work, including two successful political asylum cases for LGBT refugees and representing arts non-profits in NYC.
-Lots of travel, including 2 months in India working with cattle, one year in Seoul teaching English and 3 months working in England as a software consultant
-Running with the NY Road Runners
-One year of cell biology research
-Chamber music choir in undergrad for 3 years

Letters of Recommendation:
-2 Vets from small animal clinic
-1 from partner at law firm
-1 from research professor
-1 from Biochem professor

I have tons of unusual stuff in my background and obviously had to address the career switch. I did a little extended narrative about my childhood desire to be an astronaut and how that desire for adventure and discovery had led me through many different adventures in my life, eventually leading me to veterinary medicine. A bit cheesy, but it worked.

This thread was both helpful and intimidating when I was planning my application strategy. I just want to give some hope to those who are going back for a second (or third) career and have to atone for some early sins. It can be done with lots of work, and vet schools appear to value the life experiences of "mature" students. Good luck to all!

Congratulations Bksambo in all of your successes! Good luck in Cornell!

First time applicant
Applied: UF, Mississippi State, VMRC
Interviewed: UF, Mississippi (declined)
Still waiting: VMRC
Accepted: UF
Attending: UF!!

Academics:
Undergrad: University of Florida, BS in Biology, Graduated May 2010- GPA 3.3
Graduate: University of Florida CVM, MS in Forensic Toxicology- GPA 3.85
Science GPA: not really sure although I did make a lot of C's surprisingly (in Organic, Biochem, Physiology)
GRE: Verbal- 510, Quantitative- 590, Writing- 4

Veterinary Experience
-2 years as vet assistant at a private practice (approx. 20-25 hrs a week)
-2 years as a vet tech at a corporate vet's office (30 hrs a week for 1 year, then full time)
-6 months (and still employed) at the UF CVM in PCW/ICU (full-time)

Animal Experience
-Raised pigs and heifers through FFA in high school
-Volunteered at a local spay/neuter clinic for feral cats
-Helped my dad with his cattle (worth mentioning)

Extracurricular Activities
-YMCA soccer coach
-Prevet club
-Volunteered in forensic anthropology lab (which ties in with my Masters)

Letters of Recommendation
-3 veterinarians, each from a different practice but I knew all of them really well! **I've been told by someone on the admissions committee that references are actually really important. Make sure you really know the person who is writing you one.

Personal Statement
I discussed my forensic background (both Masters and volunteer experience). I also focused on my experience as it was the strength in my application. I discussed the fact that I've worked in 3 facets of veterinary medicine- private practice, corporate and academia.

PM me with any questions

First Time Applicant from NJ
Applied: Iowa St., Ohio St., Kansas St, Colorado St, Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota, Penn, Michigan St, VMRC, UTK
Rejected: Kansas St and Colorado St
Interview: Iowa St, Ohio St, Penn, Minnesota (declined), Purdue (declined), Illinois (decline), VMRC (declined) (would have loved to interview at Minn and Purdue but traveling just got too expensive)
Still Waiting: Michigan St, UTK
Alternate: Iowa St.
Accepted: Ohio St. and Penn
Attending: Penn!

Academics
Undergraduate: Loyola University Maryland, BS double major in biology and sociology
GRE: 1210 (570 Verbal, 640 Quant.) with 3.5 writing score
GPA: 3.75 overall and Science GPA is about 3.50-3.55 (varies up and down depending on the specifics for the school)
Switching from med. to vet fairly recently

Vet/Animal Experience
850+ hours doing research fellowship on how mice change the plasticity of their Small Intestine with changes in diet protein content.
450+ hours volunteering at a small companion animal vet. getting trained as a tech.
40 hours shadowing at a vet. cardiologist
60 hours volunteering at a local wildlife rescue (birds of prey and large reptiles)
200+ hours working at a pet store kennel
30 hours shadowing with a equine vet

Extracurriculars
Spent a semester abroad in Australia
Member of and officer in 3 honor societies (bio, sociology, and Jesuit)
Volunteered at local hospital with a social worker
Volunteered at an home for individuals with AIDS
Interned with a colorectal surgeon and at local ER
Played rugby for a year

Letters of Recommendation
2 from veterinarians I volunteered for
1 from research professor
1 from colorectal surgeon I shadowed
1 from sociology professor

Personal Statement
I discussed risk taking and my transition from medical to veterinary school

If you have any questions feel free to shoot me a PM! Hope this helps through the process and there is a light at the end of the tunnel, I promise!

s

Third time applicant, 24 years old, female, Washington resident.

1st time applying 2008 cycle (MI Resident):
Applied: Michigan State, Illinois, Cornell, Washington State
Rejected: everywhere but MSU, where I got waitlisted

didn't apply in 2009 as I was in the midst of my MS degree

2nd time applying 2010 cycle (MI Resident):
Applied: Michigan State, Wisconsin, Washington State
Rejected: everywhere but MSU, where I got waitlisted again
I got into a PhD program at the University of Washington that year and declined that to take my current job and consider applying to vet school again.

3rd time applying! (Washington resident)
Applied: Washington State, Minnesota, and Tennessee
Rejected: Minnesota
Still waiting: Tennessee, but they apparently didn't get my GRE scores so I'm pretty sure that's out
Interview: Washington State
Accepted: Washington State

Education: University of Michigan -- Cellular and Molecular Biology BS 2009
University of Washington -- Toxicology MS 2011

Cum GPA @ time of application: 3.3 ish ? went from UG with semesters to grad school on the quarter system.
Last 45 credit hrs: Dunno, 3.6 ish maybe
Science GPA @ time of application: 3.2 ish ?
GRE: 1420. 760q, 660v, 4.5 writing

Veterinary Experience:
-600 hours working as a vet assistant in a small animal clinic
-700 hours (way more now as I've been working there full time since I applied) at a National Primate Center as a molecular biologist/monkey trainer extraordinaire

Animal Experience:
-50 hours volunteering at a large animal/farm animal rescue

Employment:
-1600 hours (ha, i'm sure it's way more) as a research assistant doing research for my MS
-300 hours as a lab assistant in a clinical biochemical genetics lab
-1000 hours working in a pet store

Extracurricular/Community Activities:
-IM softball!
-IM soccer
-Pre-vet club

eLORS:
-1 vet from the SA clinic where I worked
-my MS thesis advisor
-post-doc in the lab where I did my MS
-professor from my grad program

Awards and Honors:
-University honors a few semesters
-Robert C Byrd scholarship recipient


I almost didn't apply this year, but the thought of waiting and having to retake my GRE was awful. I completely changed my personal statement, finally deciding to make it mostly about monkeys since 1. monkeys are awesome and 2. I decided that would make me stand out more than anything else I could write about. I think the single biggest thing I did to succeed this year was to not be a Michigan resident anymore! My non-academic accomplishments don't mean as much there.

And I know this is going to sound crazy to everyone, but there's a possibility I'll try to defer or decline my spot. I love doing research and being the top molecular biologist at my job, and I get to train rhesus macaques when I'm not doing molecular bio. I didn't know a job other than being a vet could fit everything that I love so perfectly. I never thought it would be even possible for me to feel this way... but here I am. I'm definitely freaking out about this at the moment...

Originally Posted by princesspeaches

And I know this is going to sound crazy to everyone, but there's a possibility I'll try to defer or decline my spot. I love doing research and being the top molecular biologist at my job, and I get to train rhesus macaques when I'm not doing molecular bio. I didn't know a job other than being a vet could fit everything that I love so perfectly. I never thought it would be even possible for me to feel this way... but here I am. I'm definitely freaking out about this at the moment...

Princesspeaches, you've got a very inspirational story and I love your honesty. (totally jealous too....I would love to work with monkeys, it seems like completely fascinating work!)
I wish I could say something more than the totally unhelpful go-for-what's-right-for-you but that's all I got. Good luck with your decision!

So much success from other non-trads, so good to see

Peaches - glad your MS/research focus lead you to something you love! Sounds like a tough decision!

Originally Posted by SarBean

Princesspeaches, you've got a very inspirational story and I love your honesty. (totally jealous too....I would love to work with monkeys, it seems like completely fascinating work!)
I wish I could say something more than the totally unhelpful go-for-what's-right-for-you but that's all I got. Good luck with your decision!

Originally Posted by OH Bunny Girl

So much success from other non-trads, so good to see

Peaches - glad your MS/research focus lead you to something you love! Sounds like a tough decision!

Thanks guys I'll probably be posting a lot more on SDN as I freak out about the future...

Good luck at WSU! Wish MSU would have seen more than just numbers.

Whoo the stats are rolling in!

I love seeing people post their successes

... and futurevet7 its great to see your can-do attitude, your another inspiring story.

2nd time applicant, nontraditional applicant
Schools
Applied: Iowa State, Minnesota, Kansas State, Wisconsin
Rejected: Kansas State, Minnesota
Accepted: Iowa State
Pending: Wisconsin
Academics
Cumulative GPA: 3.2
Last 45 GPA: 3.8
GRE: 710q, 530v
Veterinary and Animal Experience
Large Animal (cattle, swine): 200 hours
Research: 1200 hours
Humane Society: 100 hours
Letters of Recommendation
1 DVM
4 professors

Questions, feel free to PM me!

First time applicant, Texas resident, 21 year old female
Applied early

Undergrad: Texas A&M at Galveston, transferred to Texas A&M my junior year
Pursuing B.S. in Biology (will complete after the first year of vet school)

Applied: Texas A&M
Interview offers: Texas A&M
Accepted: Texas A&M
Attending: Texas A&M

Cum GPA: 3.93
Science GPA: 3.91
Last 45 credit hrs: Not sure. Maybe 3.8-3.9?
GRE: 380 V, 650 Q, 4 W (took this with little preparation...eek!)

Veterinary Experience:
- 110 hours volunteering at a small animal clinic
- 1300 hours working as a Technician Assistant at the same small animal clinic
- 90 hours volunteering at an equine hospital

Animal Experience
- 100 hours of pet ownership
- 30 hours of handling feral cats in my neighborhood for TNR
- 300 hours spent walking dogs in the yard, feeding/giving them water, cleaning cages, trimming nails, etc at the small animal hospital
- 25 hours spent walking horses in the pasture, administering the proper feed, checking for water, assisting in hoof care at the equine hospital

Employment:
- Veterinary Technician Assistant at a 5 doctor small animal hospital
- Receptionist Assistant in an office

Extracurricular Activities:
- Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society member
- Pre-Vet Society at TAMU
- Pre-Med Society at TAMUG (we didn't have a pre-vet organization)
- Volunteered doing beach clean ups in Galveston and holiday events with the aforementioned clubs
- Bowling league

Awards and Honors:
- Dean's Distinguished Student Award (2010) at TAMUG
- Aggie Scholar (2009-2010, 2010-2011) at TAMUG
- Dean's List
- Academic scholarships
- Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society

Letters of Recommendation:
- 1 from my personal vet (who is also one of the small animal vets I work with)
- 1 from a small animal vet at the same hospital
- 1 from my English professor in college (even though she was not a science professor, I asked her for a letter because she knew me the best of all my professors)

Personal Statement: There was a specific case I observed that, I felt, illustrated perfectly all the reasons I wish to be a veterinarian, what I hope to achieve in the future, and the kind of vet I want to be. I would recommend just to speak from your heart, and if you've ever had a defining moment where you've realized "This is it, this is why I have to be a veterinarian," just talk about that. Your passion will be obvious!

Grades were on my side throughout the application process, but the GRE definitely wasn't. While I don't have as much experience as some of you guys (y'all are awesome!), I feel like the experience I got was really valuable, so I tried to make that clear in the application. I tried my best to illustrate the spectrum of cases I've been fortunate to see and note the most important factors I've observed of some of the BIG cases (like heart failure, kidney failure, etc).

Good luck to all of you guys applying! Go get 'em!

Jaylindani, you ARE an inspiration!! So so happy you got into Miss!! Fellow teachers turned vet hopefuls unite!!! Hahaha

I am so happy to finally post here. I just heard back from my last school. So I couldn't have done this without this forum and this amazing community. This thread gave me so much help last year when I was applying, and I hope my stats will help someone this coming cycle. Here goes my anonymity...

1st time applicant, 22, female, NJ resident (OOS everywhere )

Applied: 15 schools; Auburn, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, North Carolina, Penn, Ohio, Washington, Wisconsin, Tufts, VMRCVM, Louisiana
Rejected: Colorado, NCSU, Penn, Washington
Interviewed: Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Tufts, Auburn (declined), Illinois (declined), Minnesota (declined), VMRCVM (declined)
Waitlisted: Louisiana (pre-interview), Wisconsin (no interview), Florida (post-interview)
Accepted: Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Tufts
Attending: Ohio State


Academics
-B.S. in biology (conc. marine/environmental) w/ minors in chemistry and psychology from small private school in NJ (aka, not Rutgers. Lol)
cGPA: 3.76 from undergrad, 3.74 included some college courses taken in high school
sGPA: 3.5-3.8 depending on the school (won't even consider Auburn's horrendous method of calculating sGPA using organic and physics. Hehe)
Last 45: 3.75-3.9 (yay Kansas!)
GRE: 1300 cumulative, 740 Q, 560 V, 4.0 AW (only took 1 time, used Kaplan's online prep course halfheartedly)

Other stuff: had 4 W's on my app (3 explained away due to illness, 1 during a summer. It was a science course that I later retook). Had one D+ (retook and got an A-. I was asked about this only in my Kansas interview, and they must have been okay with my answer because they accepted me!). Had 2 C+ in science courses. I had a 4.0 my first 2 semesters, went slightly down to a bad-ish semester my junior year when taking 20 credits, and then went back up to straight A's my senior year. I think this definitely helped my case, and it is one of the reasons that I put off applying a year and took a gap year.)

Awards/Honors:
-highest GPA award first semester (4.0/4.0)
-graduated magna cum laude
-graduate of honors school
-departmental honors in biology
-marine biology achievement award (marine biology major or conc. graduating w/ highest GPA)
-best undergrad talk (oral pres. at regional conference)
-jane freed award (best undergrad thesis proposal for my research--came w/ a $1000 check )
-dean's award of excellence (3rd place on poster presentation at school research conference)
-couple of school-specific scholarships
-academic scholarship from school (merit-based)
-bunch of honor societies that have no purpose : alpha epsilon delta, omicron delta kappa, psi chi, beta beta beta
-dean's list a bunch of times

Veterinary Experience
-10 hours equine (shadow)
-910 hours vet tech overnight ER at 100+ doctor GP, specialty, and ER SA private practice (also saw some exotics and wildlife)
-98 hours pre-vet externship at same practice (shadowed in GP, specialty and ER departments)
-90 hours shadowing/assisting vet behaviorist (residency trained, but not board-certified. This was so valuable. All 90 hours was just me, the vet, and the client. Learned a ton about the profession)
-210 hours shelter med (volunteer)
-180 hours shadowing/basic assisting (drawing up vaccines, cleaning, simple restraint, some new puppy visits, etc.)

(Thought my lack of LA hours would really hurt me, but not so much. I made sure to explain at my interviews and in my essays my breadth of experience, even if most of it was technically small animal (shelter vs. huge specialty/referral hospital vs. smaller private practice)

Animal Experience
-30 hours volunteer local CART
-150 hours petsitting (exotics + dogs + cats + medical fosters for SPCA kittens)
-50 hours wildlife rehab (sub-permittee)
-60 hours conference presentations (research, around 12 or so that I listed)
-1000 hours independent research (some for credit, some paid, culminated in thesis. I put this under animal experience because it was under a PhD and involved animals (fish to be exact) based on VMCAS' new rules for this past cycle. Nearly every interview asked about my research experience, so I feel like it was a huge bonus to my application.)
-1800 hours adoption counselor at shelter
-200 hours general volunteer at shelter (dog walking, behavior mod, cat socialization, events, etc.)
-14 hours animal-related seminars
-200 hours employee at aquarium (grossly underestimated. I didn't keep track of these hours so I thought it was better to be safe.)

Other Employment:
-designed and implemented science curriculum at local preschool; editorial, clerical, and secretarial tasks
-peer mentor for school of science
-TA'd freshman biology lab for one semester
-camp counselor way back when

Extracurriculars
-I was a leader in college. Founded a few campus groups (Roots and Shoots chapter, student-faculty teamed sustainability council), held leadership positions in others, and organized campus events frequently. (If anyone wants specifics, feel free to PM.)
-Theater performance, dance and voice classes for a long time
-for high school, the only thing I really listed was Friendship Club (helping special needs peers 1-2x/week. I used this as the basis for my Tufts essay, and I think it turned out really well--they also mentioned it during my interview.)

Stuff that I think helped me stand out and would recommend to anyone looking to boost their application: Strong upward trend in GPA. RESEARCH experience!

Personal statement: I talked about the differences between shelter medicine and private practice and one instance of what happened when my two worlds crashed together. I also had a paragraph about my research experience in there and what a valuable experience it was for me and how it will help me be a better veterinarian.

LORs:
1. Shelter vet
2. Vet behaviorist
3. Adoption manager at shelter
4. PhD professor. She was my academic adviser and my research mentor. Also had her for a couple of courses. This was probably my strongest letter. I have the most amazing relationship with this woman and hope I will find such a great mentor in vet school.
5. Committee letter from my pre-health committee (some schools wouldn't accept it, but I sent it along anyways).

I decided on vet school relatively late (around beginning of junior year, I think) so I spent the last couple of years playing catch up. Please feel free to PM if you have any specific questions.

And here's some to SDN.

NStarz signing out...

First time applicant, 22 years old, California resident, female
Applied: Ohio State, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, UC Davis
Apps withdrawn: N/A
Still waiting: UC Davis
Interview: Ohio State, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, UC Davis
Waitlisted: Louisiana, Minnesota
Rejected: Ohio State
Accepted: Illinois, Kansas

Cum GPA @ time of application: 3.69
Last 45 credit hrs: Not sure
Science GPA @ time of application: 3.77
GRE: 1280. 790q, 590v, 4.5 AW

Veterinary Experience:
-1,000 hours working at small animal clinic/hospital
-40 hours dermatology internship at UC Davis
-40 hours food animal intern at UC Davis
- ~40 hours at local vet care for homeless animal owners

Animal Experience:
- 40 hours volunteering at Sacramento Zoo
-Volunteer at local animal shelter

Extracurricular/Community Activities:
- Clarinet/Band

eLORS:
- 2 veterinarians
- 1 professor, PI

Awards and Honors:
- Dean's Honor List multiple quarters

It's totally possible, even if you're not perfect. As evidenced by my less-than-3.5 GPA.

First time applicant, nontraditional, female 23, Louisiana resident

Applied: LSU, OK State, Texas A&M, and Georgia
Rejected: Texas A&M, Georgia
Interviewed: LSU
Waitlisted: OK State
Accepted: LSU
Attending: LSU!

BS in Biology, 2010
Cum GPA: 3.47
LSU required: 3.62
Last 45: 3.56
GRE: 155v, 148q; 303 total for the new scoring system, about an 1120 if you're thinking of the old system

Veterinary experience:
3100 h at time of application working at 2 SA hospitals
A couple of classes taken under a veterinarian requiring hands-on work

Animal experience:
about 3000 hours working with horses and horseback riding camps (every summer and holiday since I was 12)
Owning pets, etc.

Extracurriculars:
Yeah, like none.
Gay Straight Alliance freshman and sophomore year
Habitat for Humanity junior and senior year
AED (pre-med society) senior year

eLOR's:
4 vets I worked under
A high school english teacher
My riding instructor from my horseback riding/camp counselor experience

Awards:
Deans List
Scholarships

Personal Statement:
I talked about wanting to go into human medicine, lacking the passion for the profession, and finding my real passion at a veterinary hospital. Then focused on how I had grown as a person since I was in college, i.e., to make up for my GPA.

First time applicant, female, 24, MA resident

Applied: Tufts, Penn, Auburn, Illinois, Tennessee
Interviewed: Tufts, Penn, Auburn, Illinois, Tennessee (declined)
Accepted: Tufts, Penn, Auburn, Illinois
Attending: Tufts!

BS in Biology
Cum GPA: 3.67
Last 45: 3.84
GRE: 720Q, 680V, 4.5W

Veterinary Experience
At time of application-
100 hours shadowing small-animal clinic
20 hours shadowing opthamologist
10 hours at emergency clinic
Update on application-
500+ hours working as tech at small-animal clinic

Animal Experience
45 hours shoveling horse poop
2000+ hours as foster home for rat rescue
70 hours as animal care volunteer at local animal shelter

Research Experience
1000+ hours working as undergrad research assistant in neuroscience lab, I ran rats on mazes... a lot
2000+ hours working as a lab manager, a big part of my job was maintaining our mouse colony

Extracurriculars
Biology/biochemistry tutor
Reading to preschool students

Awards
Dean's List
Cum Laude

ELors
Boss (PhD) from my lab manager position
Veterinarian from shadowing at the small-animal clinic
1 Professor from biochemistry course
1 Professor from graduate-level cell biology course

Personal Statement
How I got to where I was. Why it took me several years to decide I wanted to apply. What I needed to overcome before I committed to veterinary medicine.