Need a little input... Much appreciated!

[VetToBe48]

I really screwed up my Sophomore year! I let my easier classes slip into Bs, and now I'm regretting it in my upper level courses. Are all those B's going to look bad to vet schools? I'm trying my hardest to get straight A's now, but realistically that may not be the case with Physics and Orgo 2. Also, for all of you freshman/sophomore's: DO NOT do what I did. Your time and effort into classes only increases each semester.

Transcript:
Freshman yr:
Semester 1: Semester 2:
Zoology + lab: B Gen Chemistry 1: C+
Finance: A- Gen Chem 1 lab: B+
American History: A Trigonometry: B+
Pre-calculus: B Music Experience: A
14 credit hrs English Comp 1: A
Understanding Relations: A
16 credit hrs
Sophomore yr:
Semester 1:
English Comp 2: A
Calculus 1: C
7 credit hrs

Semester 2: Semester 3:
Biology 1: B Biology 2: B
Biology 1 lab: B Biology 2 lab: B
Gen Chemistry 2: B Organic Chem 1: B
Gen Chem 2 lab: A Organic Chem 1 lab: B+
Statistics: B Intro to Philosophy: B
credit hrs: 11 credit hrs: 11

Semester 3:
Into to Lit: B+
Bioinformatics: A-

Junior yr:
Semester 1: (my predicted grades if I do well on finals)
Animal Behavior: B
Physiology: A
Genetics: B+
Gen Psychology: A-
Biostatistics: A
credit hrs: 17

My current GPA is 3.11 (should increase to 3.22 if my predictions are true), and I still have both Physics and Orgo 2 to go! I have 42 more credits to go, which if I get straight A's (big IF, but definitely going to try) i can only bring my it up to roughly a 3.48.
Additional info: I worked 30+ hrs a week 2 of those semesters, and shadowed a vet(s) a 4-5 hrs per week +volunteered at a local shelter on/off all semesters.

Thank you for any input

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[shortnsweet]

Oh my...please stop stressing. Bs are not the end of the world. I've been a mostly B student since high school and i'm in a residency now. You're fine. Just keep working hard and stop stressing about getting straight As. Aim for As, but don't beat yourself up.

 

[Starry-chan]

I think a B in organic chem is pretty good

Orgo scares the bejesus out of me xD

 

[VetMedVetMed]

My advice would be to just continue trying to get A's in as many of the science courses as you can. Yes schools do look at your GPA heavily, some more than others. When you apply, if your GPA is still the same, look into schools that look more holistically at applications, and not so much at a very high GPA. I personally wouldn't waste my time or money applying to schools where the previous years's class stats are very high GPA if I had a low GPA. Schools like Cornell, UC Davis, Colorado... These are schools that look way more heavily at a high GPA and high gre score. Try getting a high score on your GRE, because if you can get into the 160s, that will really help you if you are looking at those types of schools. Also remember to not be too hard on yourself, and don't give up! If you have to apply out of the U.S. as well, that gives you more opportunities. Some of my friends are considering dropping Prevet and going premed or other only after one application cycle (after hearing rejections). I think that's nuts. Yes a low gpa can hurt, but it's not everything. If you can show you have lots of great experience, extra curriculars, leadership positions, etc. that will help you stand out more. I hope nothing I said was harsh! Do you have a Prevet advisor at your school? If so, try talking to them about it! There are plenty of people who have gotten C's, and are practicing vets now. It's not the end of the world. You just have to show schools how YOU are different from the pack. Good luck and don't give up if this is what you really want!

 

[VetToBe48]

Thank you everyone! Just all of a sudden turning a junior I started stressing about applying, but you're absolutely right. They want a well-rounded person as well and it's not the end of the world... lol Good luck to you all!

 

[VetMedVetMed]

Thank you everyone! Just all of a sudden turning a junior I started stressing about applying, but you're absolutely right. They want a well-rounded person as well and it's not the end of the world... lol Good luck to you all!

Are you applying this upcoming cycle? Just make sure when you apply almost ALL of your prereqs are done. Schools won't even consider you unless almost all of them done. If you have one or two left that is fine, but my advice would be don't apply until you have literally all of them done (again one left of two is probably ok). They want to see you can get the good grades in the high level courses.

 

[VetToBe48]

Are you applying this upcoming cycle? Just make sure when you apply almost ALL of your prereqs are done. Schools won't even consider you unless almost all of them done. If you have one or two left that is fine, but my advice would be don't apply until you have literally all of them done (again one left of two is probably ok). They want to see you can get the good grades in the high level courses.

No, I'm taking a gap year to save up some money, get more experience, and have my senior to raise my GPA. So I don't have to worry about not having all, or the majority, of prereqs completed. I only plan on applying to my IS too.

 

[VetToBe48]

Oh my...please stop stressing. Bs are not the end of the world. I've been a mostly B student since high school and i'm in a residency now. You're fine. Just keep working hard and stop stressing about getting straight As. Aim for As, but don't beat yourself up.

Yeah, I guess B's aren't bad but they can really affect your gpa. That's really my only concern. If you don't mind me asking what was you cGPA, and did it take you a couple tries to get in? I know there's more to an app than just GPA though.

 

[shortnsweet]

Yeah, I guess B's aren't bad but they can really affect your gpa. That's really my only concern. If you don't mind me asking what was you cGPA, and did it take you a couple tries to get in? I know there's more to an app than just GPA though.

I think I finished with a 3.4 or something in undergrad? That was back in 2009, so I don't really remember. I know my GRE was terrible.
I got in my first time.

The main reason I said that about Bs is because you are not only going to stress yourself out, but you are also going to make people not very happy with you for complaining about them. If you were upset about Cs, then ok, I can sympathize, and may recommend changing your study habits or repeating those courses. But science people are already competitive and stressed out enough as it is without losing sleep over a B.

I would not recommend applying to just your IS, unless you are in a contract/7-year program. Putting all of your eggs in one basket is a very brave thing to do if vet school is what you really want.

 

[VetMedVetMed]

I think I finished with a 3.4 or something in undergrad? That was back in 2009, so I don't really remember. I know my GRE was terrible.
I got in my first time.

The main reason I said that about Bs is because you are not only going to stress yourself out, but you are also going to make people not very happy with you for complaining about them. If you were upset about Cs, then ok, I can sympathize, and may recommend changing your study habits or repeating those courses. But science people are already competitive and stressed out enough as it is without losing sleep over a B.

I would not recommend applying to just your IS, unless you are in a contract/7-year program. Putting all of your eggs in one basket is a very brave thing to do if vet school is what you really want.

I completely agree with this. My advice is to also not just apply to your IS. The reason is, because you could waste an entire year if you happen to not be accepted to your IS. I know that is harsh to say, but it has happened to SO many people. If I were you, I would apply to a minimum of five schools. Schools that you can see yourself going to, and possibly Ross and St. George as well (they like U.S. students and tend to take lower GPA's). Consider this because I would hate for you to put everything into getting into your IS, and then that not happening, then having to reapply again a year later.

 

[dyachei]

I completely agree with this. My advice is to also not just apply to your IS. The reason is, because you could waste an entire year if you happen to not be accepted to your IS. I know that is harsh to say, but it has happened to SO many people. If I were you, I would apply to a minimum of five schools. Schools that you can see yourself going to, and possibly Ross and St. George as well (they like U.S. students and tend to take lower GPA's). Consider this because I would hate for you to put everything into getting into your IS, and then that not happening, then having to reapply again a year later.

I'm of a different mind about this. I wouldn't necessarily apply to Ross and St. George (and some other schools as well) because the cost of the degree is not necessarily worth it. If you would only go to your IS school, only apply there. It's cheaper to reapply than to spend $200-300k on vet school tuition. That being said, make sure you meet your schools pre-reqs

 

[VetToBe48]

I think I finished with a 3.4 or something in undergrad? That was back in 2009, so I don't really remember. I know my GRE was terrible.
I got in my first time.

The main reason I said that about Bs is because you are not only going to stress yourself out, but you are also going to make people not very happy with you for complaining about them. If you were upset about Cs, then ok, I can sympathize, and may recommend changing your study habits or repeating those courses. But science people are already competitive and stressed out enough as it is without losing sleep over a B.

I would not recommend applying to just your IS, unless you are in a contract/7-year program. Putting all of your eggs in one basket is a very brave thing to do if vet school is what you really want.

Sorry, I stress too much. I'm slowly trying to get out of that habit cause it also makes me feel overwhelmed and not do as well. Thank you for the advice I will definitely keep it all in mind. I apologize for sounding whiny as well. I take full account for my grades I'm just trying to get the best stats that I can now.

 

[KCgophervet]

I completely agree with this. My advice is to also not just apply to your IS. The reason is, because you could waste an entire year if you happen to not be accepted to your IS. I know that is harsh to say, but it has happened to SO many people. If I were you, I would apply to a minimum of five schools. Schools that you can see yourself going to, and possibly Ross and St. George as well (they like U.S. students and tend to take lower GPA's). Consider this because I would hate for you to put everything into getting into your IS, and then that not happening, then having to reapply again a year later.

There's no minimum or maximum number of schools you should apply to. The magic rules are as follows:

1. Apply smart. Apply to schools that want what you've got (right pre-reqs, good stats, etc). If you have a low cGPA but a high last 45 credits, apply to the schools that want a high last 45 and put less emphasis on cGPA. It's not rocket science, it might just take a little research.

2. Apply cheap. IS schools, schools with cheap OOS tuition, unless you're independently wealthy or have enough money via spouse/family/savings to pay for school out of pocket, cost should be super high on your list of "things that matter" when applying.

2. ONLY APPLY TO SCHOOLS YOU WILL ATTEND IF ACCEPTED. I seriously cannot stress this enough. Don't waste application money on applying to a school that, should they accept you, you wouldn't want to attend (due to location, finances, whatever). Now, if circumstances change and you end up having to decline an acceptance, that's fine. But go into selecting your schools with the idea that "if this is the only school that accepts me, that's where I'm going!" Anything short of that, just save your $.

 

[shortnsweet]

I agree that there is not min/max amount of schools you should apply to, but if you could see yourself at places other than your IS, I would give yourself the best shot possible. I think the match was even more stressful for me because I knew once I got my result, I would be stuck with that choice--the options would be gone, and a change of heart in the program I wanted would have resulted in me not being able to apply again for 3 years.

And i'm not trying to make you feel bad about stressing about grades---we have ALL been there. I just wish I had someone tell me earlier to take a deep breath and relax more. The whole experience would have been much more pleasurable.

 

[LetItSnow]

I completely agree with this. My advice is to also not just apply to your IS. The reason is, because you could waste an entire year if you happen to not be accepted to your IS. I know that is harsh to say, but it has happened to SO many people. If I were you, I would apply to a minimum of five schools. Schools that you can see yourself going to, and possibly Ross and St. George as well (they like U.S. students and tend to take lower GPA's). Consider this because I would hate for you to put everything into getting into your IS, and then that not happening, then having to reapply again a year later.

Bad math. Better off 'wasting' a year if it means lowering your out-of-school debt by a couple hundred thou. Long term you'll still come out ahead even with the lost year.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

I completely agree with this. My advice is to also not just apply to your IS. The reason is, because you could waste an entire year if you happen to not be accepted to your IS. I know that is harsh to say, but it has happened to SO many people. If I were you, I would apply to a minimum of five schools. Schools that you can see yourself going to, and possibly Ross and St. George as well (they like U.S. students and tend to take lower GPA's). Consider this because I would hate for you to put everything into getting into your IS, and then that not happening, then having to reapply again a year later.

Treating island schools as a last-resort option is a mistake a lot of pre-vets seem to do or at least consider when applying. Seriously, do your research on those schools. We have a few on this forum that are in/were in those programs if you need to pick some brains. Finances aside (we could chat about that for hours), living on these islands is not as simple as moving there like it is for US schools. If you do your thorough research and decide it's a lifestyle you can handle, by all means, go for it!

 

[VetMedVetMed]

Applying and getting all of these

Treating island schools as a last-resort option is a mistake a lot of pre-vets seem to do or at least consider when applying. Seriously, do your research on those schools. We have a few on this forum that are in/were in those programs if you need to pick some brains. Finances aside (we could chat about that for hours), living on these islands is not as simple as moving there like it is for US schools. If you do your thorough research and decide it's a lifestyle you can handle, by all means, go for it!

I mention it because it is another option because both schools are year round..meaning you can apply throughout the year, so if they were wanting to apply to them after finding out they didn't get into a U.S. school but still wanted to attend the same year, they could. I know a few people who actually are planning on applying to both after they find out from their top choices if don't get in. All I am saying is those are options because you can apply year round. Some people are just not willing to wait a whole more year like the people I mentioned.

 

[Starry-chan]

Sorry, I stress too much. I'm slowly trying to get out of that habit cause it also makes me feel overwhelmed and not do as well. Thank you for the advice I will definitely keep it all in mind. I apologize for sounding whiny as well. I take full account for my grades I'm just trying to get the best stats that I can now.

I understand. I stress easily, too. If I don't keep it in check, it can get so bad that I can't focus on what is stressing me, and it can last for weeks. Really sucked when it was school work!

Sometimes I would get mad at my brain because I don't have a bad life and it doesn't warrant that level of stress. But of course, that didn't work. When brains get all emotional, they aren't logical.

I tried lots of relaxation techniques, too. They didn't work either...until I tried the following.

It might not help you, but it's a good example that if you look hard enough, you can find something that helps you relax and let go of that stress ball and chain!

So anyway, the technique I found involves deep breathing. What's interesting about it is I'd tried similar breathing techniques before and they made me feel MORE anxious, not less. But this one was little different and it just happened to work! Here it is:

Step 1: Put my hand on my belly. Inhale deeply through my nose, while counting off 5 seconds (1 one thousand, 2 one thousand, etc.), and making sure I inhale deeply enough that my belly lifts up my hand.

Step 2: Hold it while counting off 5 seconds, in the same way.

Step 3: Exhale over 5 seconds.

Step 4: This is where it's different! I take 2-3 normal breaths.

I repeat this 10 times. It takes about 5 minutes. I'm always way calmer than when I started!

Try this. If it does't work for you DON'T GIVE UP. There is a technique out there that WILL work!

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Applying and getting all of these


I mention it because it is another option because both schools are year round..meaning you can apply throughout the year, so if they were wanting to apply to them after finding out they didn't get into a U.S. school but still wanted to attend the same year, they could. I know a few people who actually are planning on applying to both after they find out from their top choices if don't get in. All I am saying is those are options because you can apply year round. Some people are just not willing to wait a whole more year like the people I mentioned.

I understand! I've just known more than a few people who have spent money applying to these schools, only to turn down an acceptance because they just couldn't do the island lifestyle. I repeat, these schools should not be treated as a last resort like you are implying. Also, the island schools do reject people. They're not a guaranteed offer by any means.