Please help! Lots of hours of experience but low GPAs (University of Arizona)

[Christina Dages]

So long story short I am deciding to finally apply to vet school. I gave up the dream many years ago and just continued to work as an RVT. I am looking at applying to the University of Arizona only. It is a 3 year program which I really like. I have been trying to calculate my GPAs prior to submitting my application. Their requirements are 3.0 in cumulative, science, and prereq GPAs. They do state that 2.75 and up will be considered.

Long story short I went to 2 colleges- community college and CSUSM. My time at community college was long (5 years) and multiple repeat grades. I left there with a 2.5 GPA when I transferred to CSUSM. My grades improved significantly and I graduated in 2 years with a bachelors in biology. I went back a year later to enter a masters program in biotech which I graduated from 2 years later. My graduate gpa was 3.01.

I have spend hours and hours trying to calculate VMCAS GPAs and have been pulling my hair out.
Prereq GPA= 3.01
Science GPA= unsure? (this is the one that is stressing me out)
Cumulative GPA= 2.75
**if anyone can offer more help on calculating I would so appreciate it! Not sure if I should be counting repeated classes or not? I’ve looked everywhere on U of A website but can’t find anything.

I have be an RVT for over 8 years and in hospital since I was 16 (I am 29 now). I also taught a veterinary technician program at an AVMA accredited program for 4 years so I have mixed experience with large animal, exotics, research animals, etc. My experience hours total over ~15,000.

Sadly U of A does not look at the last 45 credit GPA which would help me significantly. Does anyone have suggestions on what to do? I really don’t think it makes sense to redo prereqs at this point in my academic career. I am trying to avoid international programs, maybe would consider Ross since it is 3 years but still not ideal for my situation to move that far.

Thank you!!!!

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[Mr.Smile12]

How much do you already interact with faculty or staff at U of A? The vet world is not that big, so you probably already know some faculty and alumni. I would talk with their admissions team directly especially if your want to stay in the area.

 

[WonderingStudent]

Science GPA= unsure? (this is the one that is stressing me out)
Cumulative GPA= 2.75
**if anyone can offer more help on calculating I would so appreciate it! Not sure if I should be counting repeated classes or not? I’ve looked everywhere on U of A website but can’t find anything.

How schools deal with GPA with repeat classes depends on the school so the best course of action is to call admissions and check with them.

The admissions process from their website: “To earn a supplemental assessment, you must meet our prerequisite requirements and obtain a 3.0 cumulative, science and prerequisite GPA.
Applicants with a cumulative, science or prerequisite GPA between 2.75 and 2.99 may receive an additional review to determine their eligibility for a supplemental assessment. Individuals are screened for evidence of the candidate’s ability to navigate the rigors of our veterinary medicine curriculum. Selected candidates will progress to the supplemental assessment, while others will be denied.
We encourage applicants with a cumulative, science, or prerequisite GPA below 2.75 to meet with a pre-health advisor to discuss options for satisfying our minimum requirements.”

It’s very iffy if you would be eligible for the supplemental assessment if your GPA is 2.75-2.999. If you determine you are in this range I would calculate how many science courses you would actually need to take or retake to get to the 3.0 mark just to check if it’s worth it.

If you are interested in Ross, I would speak with a current student or alum. Just to make sure that it would be a good fit for you as it is set up slightly different than most US schools ie trimesters (I don’t know if U of A is similar)

 

[battie]

Prereq GPA= 3.01
Science GPA= unsure? (this is the one that is stressing me out)
Cumulative GPA= 2.75
**if anyone can offer more help on calculating I would so appreciate it! Not sure if I should be counting repeated classes or not? I’ve looked everywhere on U of A website but can’t find anything.

You would initially include all retakes. Call UofA to ask if they average grades or take the highest. Also ask what courses are included in their science GPA. Otherwise assume all hard science courses are included.