Successful Applicant Stats - Class of 2019

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haley120892

Class of 2019!
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We are by no means close to being at the end of this crazy process, but I figured we should start this thread up for future applicants! After all I know how much I have stalked the past years stats for my own piece of mind and it never ceased to give me hope!

When the time comes let's keep to the format from the previous years!!
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/successful-applicant-stats-class-of-2018.1044809/

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I guess I'll kick this off!

21 yr old female NY resident, 1st time applicant.

Applied: Cornell
Accepted: Cornell
Attending: Cornell

Overall GPA: 3.694
Science GPA: 3.5-ish?
Last 45 credits: 4.1-ish

GRE (Q/V/W): 162/166/5.5

Veterinary Experience:
Volunteer / shadow at small animal clinic (supervised by vet) - 50
Volunteer and then Supervisor Trainee at Wildlife Health Center at Cornell - 150
Shadow at Veterinary Cancer Center - 101
Wildlife Forensics course, marine mammal necropsies - 25

Research Experience:
1262 hours in the same lab, working on my own research project involved mouse handling and treatment, blood and tissue collection and processing, RNA and qPCR work.
Presented at several conferences and won an award at a large conference in Texas.

Animal Experience:
Intern at Cornell Teaching and Research Facility (cows/sheep) - 87
Pet ownership, 2 cats, one with medical needs - 200
Assistant for dairy study at Cornell - 25
Volunteer / Intern at a small animal clinic (working with techs) - 400
Out of classroom farm chores for Domestic Animal Biology course - 20

Non-Animal Employment:
Graphic designer at campus library - 140
TA for Intro to Swing Dance - 70
Graphic designer at Center for the Study of Inequality - 60

Extracurriculars / Etc:
Pre-Vet Society President
Swing dance
Part-time graphic designer
Photographer for research magazine on campus
Law & Society minor
TA for Cornell Prison Education Program

LORs: (lots of them because of the Cornell Supplement!)
Research PI
Academic advisor
Professor in the animal science department for whom I TA'd
Assistant Director of Research in the Office Undergraduate Biology
Volunteer Coordinator / RVT from small animal clinic
Oncology / Radiology veterinarian
Wildlife veterinarian

Personal Statement:
I wrote sort of a chronological essay about how my interest in veterinary medicine evolved, because I was not one of those people who knew from a very young age that this was what I wanted to do. It took me until high school to figure it out, and there were a lot of factors that played into it. One of the big things was the role of communication between doctors and clients, and I tied that into what I've learned about communication and partnership through dance.

For my Cornell supplemental essays, I wrote about 1) my experience teaching introductory biology at Auburn Prison, 2) tackling a mock crime scene during a Field Wildlife Forensics course I took over the summer, 3) the connection between science and art, and 4) my cat's diagnosis with FLUTD and handling that situation while also attending classes full time. Writing is one of my biggest passions, and honestly when people have asked me what I was most proud of about my application, I always say my essays. I'd be happy to answer questions, help with editing, or share parts of my essays over PM. :)
 
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I'll join the party since I was just accepted by my top school!

21 year old female, California resident

Applied: UC Davis, Oregon State University, Ohio State University, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, Purdue University, Illinois-Urbana, Cornell, University of Prince Edward Island, North Carolina State University, Colorado State University
Interviews: I received interviews to all of the schools above, but turned down Ohio State , Purdue, PEI and Illinois
Waitlisted: NCSU, Cornell
Accepted: Oregon State University, UC Davis, Michigan State, Colorado State
Attending: UC Davis

Overall GPA: 3.81
Science GPA: 3.82
Last 45: 4.0

GRE (Q/V/W): 152/156/4.0

Veterinary Experience:
Work at Oregon State Veterinary Teaching Hospital in the Surgery Department: 1800 hours
Internship at small animal clinic: 300 hours
Internship in large animal medicine at Oregon State: 30 hours
Worked with ambulatory equine veterinarian: 40 hours

Research Experience:
Theriogenology lab - I designed my own projects, collected data, and wrote them up into two published papers and an undergraduate thesis project (required for honors students here): 2000 hours

Toxicology lab- I was involved with projects identifying toxins responsible for neurological diseases in both humans and animals, toxicokinetics of mycotoxins, and ran my own experiments investigating different extraction techniques for mass spectrometry; 1500 hours

Animal Experience:
Manager of a horse ranch: 3000 hours
Classroom experiences (lots of moving cattle, trimming sheep, etc ): 40 hours
Sheep club at OSU - very hands on with care and lambing: 100 hours
Local shelter volunteering: 30 hours
Helped out a llama breeding facility: 28 hours


Non-Animal Employment:
N/A - I had worked on a horse ranch since I turned 16

Extracurriculars / Etc:
Sheep Club
Pre-Veterinary Club
Presented at 2014 Society for Theriogenology Conference
Presented at 2014 Poultry Science Association Conference
Presented at 2014 North Western Reproductive Sciences Symposium
Presented at 2014 Toxicology Research Conference
Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society
Mortar Board Honors Society

LORs:
Research PI from Theriogenology Lab
Research PI from Toxicology Lab
Head veterinary technician from surgery (she got to know me on a more personal level than the doctors)


Personal Statement:
I wrote a kind of obscure personal statement, where I wrote first-person narrative of myself going through a particularly challenging day in the surgery department (an animal that is dying on the table, and how I responded in that situation to help get the problem under control). Once the animal was stable, I started to reflect on what brought me to this point, what I have gained from this opportunity, and how exposure to specialty medicine and research has changed my view of vet med.
 
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21 year old male california resident, first time applicant!

Applied: UC Davis, WesternU, Ohio, Michigan, CSU, Oregon State U, Washington state U, Upenn, Iowa, Oklahoma State U
Interviews: UC Davis, WesternU, Michigan (Turned down from csu, oregon, wsu, iowa, and Oklahoma, still waiting on Upenn)
Accepted: UC Davis, WesternU
Attending: TBD (Most likely UC Davis)

Overall GPA: 3.44
Science GPA: 3.40

GRE (Q/V/W): 162/157/5

Veterinary Experience:
Volunteer / shadow at small animal clinic (supervised by vet) - 500

Research Experience:
200 hours of researching diatom nutrient cycling off the coast of California near Santa Barbara.

Animal Experience:
Animal Shelter volunteer: 120 hours
Tortoise pet sitting: 24 hours
Animal training/Pet ownership (hand feeding and raising 3 cockatiel offspring): 1100

Non-Animal Employment:
Receptionist for aquatic physical therapy: 312 hours
Extracurriculars / Etc:
Jazz ensembles
Classical wind ensembles
Combo gigs at school sponsored venues/fundraisers/dinners/events/etc.
(Dedicated about 10-20 hours a week throughout undergrad to music)

LORs:
Veterinarian
Veterinarian
Jazz Ensemble director
Personal Statement:
My personal statement opened up with me talking about the reasons for why I wanted to go into vet med and my inspirations etc. Pretty basic stuff. I then went into explaining how I dedicated countless of weekly hours to music while juggling very rigorous science classes at the same time and the lessons and strengths in character I gained from these experiences. Said how my commitment to this directly parallels my passion and commitment to pursuing a career in vet med.

I then primarily focused on my experiences shadowing 2 veterinarians at a small animal clinic (Both of my vet LORs came from both vets at the clinic). I essentially just described everything I learned about the profession and the tech duties I learned how to perform, etc.

However, I also talked about the experiences that led me to learn about the different hardships you face in vet med. Talked about how I learned that the profession can be heartbreaking and extremely frustrating, taxing, etc. (Gave examples such as being unable to save a dog that suffered from heat stroke, or witnessing the difficulties of client interactions and the frustrations of being unable to correctly diagnose animals that cannot speak for themselves, etc.) Ended this portion by declaring that regardless of this knowledge of the hardships of the profession, it does not deter me from pursuing a career in vet med in the slightest.

Ended the statement with a declaration of my passion for this field, and acknowledged the difficulty of getting into vet school but hoped that they would view me as someone worthy of pursuing a career in vet med.
 
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21 yr old female OH resident, 1st time applicant.

Applied: Ohio State, Tufts, Illinois
Accepted: Ohio State, Tufts, declined my Illinois interview
Attending: Ohio State

Overall GPA: 3.91
Science GPA: 3.86
Last 45 credits: 3.90

GRE (Q/V/W): 161/165/5.5

Veterinary Experience:
Veterinary assistant and receptionist at small animal hospital: 600
Shadowed at small animal hospitals: 250
Internship with large animal vets: 150

Research Experience:
400 hours of summer research in environmental toxicology on tadpoles

Animal Experience:
Intern at Cincinnati Zoo: 500
Volunteer at Cincinnati Zoo: 70
Volunteer in Zebra Finch Neuroscience research laboratory: 75
Classroom research involving small mammals: 40
Personal Pet-sitting service: 200

Non-Animal Employment:
Tutoring: 200 hours

Extracurriculars / Etc:
3 leadership positions in sorority
3 different tutoring jobs
Treasurer of Campus Cat Allies club (focused on TNR)
Violinist in orchestra
Honors program in college

LORs:
Biology academic advisor who I have also conducted research with and who has taught me in 3 classes
English literature academic advisor who has taught me in 2 classes
Veterinarian that I have worked for as a veterinary assistant and receptionist

Personal Statement:
Started and ended with a personal "frame" story that shows what veterinary medicine has meant to me. The rest of the essay is a chronological account of how my interest in vet med has developed and where I want to go from here. The interviewers at OSU said it stood out for being well-written, so make sure you edit extensively and have a couple people read over your essay before you submit!
 
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24 year-old female, PA resident, 1st time applicant.

Applied: Ohio State, Penn, Mississippi State, Minnesota, Georgia
Rejected: Minnesota
Interview: Ohio State, Penn (declined), Mississippi State (declined)
Attending: Ohio State

Overall GPA: 3.72
Science GPA: 3.68
Last 45: 4.0

GRE (Q/V/W): 154/156/3.0 (…not a fan of the GRE)

Veterinary Experience:
Vet assistant at small animal hospital (+2,000 hrs); we also have a traveling internist who performs ultrasounds on-site so I made a separate “shadow experience” for that (10 hours)
Shadow Veterinary Behaviorist (58 hours)
Shadow at small animal hospital (209 hours)

Animal Experience:
Volunteer farm-hand/cow-milker (91 hours)
Volunteer at wildlife rehabilitation center (132 hours)
Kennel staff employee at shelter #1 (784 hours)
Foster for shelter #2 (329 hours: five kennel cough-2 weeks each, one demodex-3 months, one kennel-reprieve-2 weeks, one TPLO with separation anxiety-6 months)
Volunteer dog walker for shelter #2 (154 hours)

Research Experience:
Budgerigar blood chemistry and behavior studies (47 hours)
5-hour ENERGY and rat brain glucose metabolism study (220 hours)
B. oleracea use of glucosinolates against herbivory study (40 hours)

Non-Animal Employment:
Student secretary for department suite consisting of 4 different majors (+900 hours)
Organic Chemistry I & II Lab TA (117 hours)
Resident Advisor (560 hours)
Administrative Resident Advisor (700 hours)
Mental Health Aide (762 hours)

Extracurricular Activities/Awards:
Completed a Tough Mudder
Ran the Pittsburgh Half-Marathon (fundraised $3,120 for shelter #2 while doing so)
Medical volunteer on a 2-week service trip in Central America
Volunteer at a community center focused on helping teenagers with autism practice social skills
Received an Organic Chemistry Service Award at graduation for my work as a TA

LORs:
Two small animal veterinarians that I work for
Organic Chemistry professor/boss (took O-chem I & II with her and was her TA for both O-chem I & II labs)
Biology academic & research advisor (took two of her classes and she was my main research advisor for my undergraduate comprehensive research project)

Personal Statement:
I opened and ended with one of my foster dogs and how our relationship strongly influenced my desire to become a veterinarian. In the body of my essay, I talked about:
-my transition from human to animal medicine
-the multiple “hats” veterinarians wear and I paralleled that to how I juggled school, multiple jobs, research, and maintaining a 4.0 GPA for two years
-the importance of connecting with clients/having clients understand the importance of treatment plans and the opportunities that I’ve had to develop my strong communication skills (because in order to successfully treat the animal you MUST have the human caregiver on board too!)



I did not include in my application that I pet-sit for my bosses and co-workers or that I am currently training for my first marathon, but these were things that I was able to talk about in my interview. I definitely recommend applicants have a few “fun-facts” that you can pepper into the interview conversation.
 
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24 year-old female, CA resident, 1st time applicant.

Applied: Davis, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Ohio
Interview: Davis, Ohio (declined), Washington (declined)
Waitlisted: Colorado
Accepted: Davis, Oregon
Attending: Davis

Overall GPA: 3.74
Science GPA: 3.67
Last 45: 3.86

GRE (Q/V/W): 162/161/4 (I don’t know what happened on that essay section…)

Degrees:
B.S. Molecular Bio, B.A. History

Veterinary Experience:
Vet assistant at a dermatology specialty clinic (2000 hours when I applied, still working here)
Vet assistant at a small animal hospital that also did acupuncture and alternative medicine (700 hours)
Vet assistant at an ER hospital (250 hours)
Volunteer at an exotic animal hospital (150 hours)

Animal Experience:
Volunteer wildlife rehab center (8 hours)
We breed and show exhibition budgerigars (890 hours)
Pet-sitting service (45 hours)

Research Experience:
Epidemiological cardiovascular research (3000 hours, co-author on 2 papers)
Genetics of pigmentation in budgies, helped Stanford PhD candidates collect blood samples (8 hours)

Non-Animal Employment:
Private tutoring service
Lower div biology TA (260+ students)

Extracurricular Activities/Awards:
Communication and exchange intern at UCSD’s International Relations and Pacific Studies department, worked with Japanese colleges students learning English
Japanese street fashion club, board of directors
Vice-president of a history honor society
Pre-vet club member
Costume making
Cum Laude
Phi Beta Kappa
Award at San Diego Comic-Con
Included a few awards from high school, art awards, Spanish honor society, and awards for scholarship

LORs:
Two of the vet dermatologists I work with, who are very well known in their field
Mamm phys professor (took mamm phys and comp phys with her and was her TA for lower div bio class)
PI at the epidemiological cardio lab

Personal Statement:
I started with an “A-ha moment” taking care of my lizard and his de-gloved jaw and conflict over valuing animals. I explained why I was interested in vet med, and what I thought it would be vs. what I actually experienced. I explained what I learned about the field through the different experiences I’ve had at an ER and derm hospitals, emphasizing the soft skills involved in working with owners and staff, and where I saw myself based on these experiences. I had a paragraph describing what I’d bring to the school/field based on my experience TAing, and another from studying abroad and costuming. I ended by tying back to the opening story.

I think my description makes it sound trite and disjointed, but I’m actually pretty proud of how it turned out.


Also, I just want to emphasize that you can get into vet school with a C on your transcript. My O-chem grades were, B-, A-, and C with an A- in lab. I really recommend studying abroad and pursuing a non-science major too.
 
22 year old, New Jersey Resident, 1st time applicant

Applied: Kansas State, Tufts, Virginia Maryland, Ohio, Penn, Cornell, University of Georgia Athens
Interviewed: Kansas, Tufts (declined), Virginia Maryland (declined), Ohio (declined), Penn (Penn was my top choice so I didn't see a point in interviewing anywhere else)
Wait-listed: Cornell, University of Georgia Athens
Accepted: Kansas State, PENN!!!!
Attending: PENN :D

GPA: 3.78
Last 45 hour: 3.95
Science GPA: 3.72
GRE (Q/V/W) 157/157/4.0 (This just proves you don't need to have 90th percentile scores to get into a top vet school)
B.S. Biology (Graduate in June)

Veterinary Experience:
3000 hours as a veterinary technician at a small animal practice
200 hours shadowing another small animal vet
1600 hours as a veterinary technician in an ICU at an animal shelter

Animal Experience:
30 hours volunteering at a shelter clinic
500 hours volunteering at PennVet in their emergency services
500 hours interning at the Academy of Natural Science in the Live Animal Center

Extra Curriculars:
Treasurer and current President of our school's Pre Vet Club
Tri Beta Honors Society
Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society
Biology Journal Club

LORS:
3 Penn veterinarians, 2 of which I currently work for and one I shadowed
1 letter from my school's pre health committee
1 letter from my microbiology professor
1 letter from my calc professor who got his PhD from Penn

Personal Statement:

I actually started my PS with dialogue as a creative risk. It turned out really well. I talked a lot about euthanasia and how I had to perform euthanasias when I worked at a kill shelter. I also discussed the human animal bond and that vets don't just help animals, they help people.

My advice to anyone applying would be to focus on your grades. I have had so many friends be rejected over and over because their GPA was low. Yes experience is important, but schools need to know you can handle hard science classes. You can always get more experience, but your GPA is what it is. You can't fix that C in Orgo. You can always get more experience. Also, be mindful of where you apply. If you have a 3.2 GPA, I wouldn't apply to Cornell or U.C. Davis. I had one friend apply to a bunch of top end schools and not get in because those schools needed a high GPA. Also, keep in mind quality over quantity when it comes to experience. 4000 hours of experience doesn't mean much if all you do is clean cages. I excelled in my interviews because I've done a lot (euthanasias, monitoring anesthesia, drawing blood, taking x-rays, client communication, etc.) and I could talk about it. I got offers for interviews everywhere I applied, but I declined most of them because I got into Penn really quickly because I was in the first interview round. Penn has always been my dream school and I am so excited to start!
 
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36yo, Pennsylvania resident, 3rd time applicant (technically 4th, but my first application cycle was a huge error on my part)

Previous years I applied only to Penn, and was rejected each time with no interview. I continued to work at a small animal hospital for experience and I'm just about finished my MS in biology.

Applied: Guelph, Iowa State, Midwestern, UGA, UPenn, VMRCVM
Interview: Iowa (declined), Midwestern, UPenn
Wait-listed: None
Rejected: Guelph, UGA, VMRCVM
Accepted: Midwestern, UPenn
Attending: UPenn :love:

GPA: 3.5
Last 45 hour: 3.5
Science GPA: 3.45
GRE (Q/V/W) 540/660/4.5 (equivalent to 156/152/4.5 on new scale)

Veterinary Experience:
9000+ hours as a veterinary technician at a small animal practice

Research Experience:
320 hours Stingray kinematics in collaboration with the US Navy
1000 hours Phocid flipper morphology - Graduate paper (hopefully to be published)

Animal Experience:
5400 hours working at a pet store/animal husbandry small mammals, reptiles, fish & inverts
2100 hours volunteer at a cat rescue

Non-Animal Employment:
Too numerous to list, but various jobs over 10 years including accounts payable, accounts receivable, customer service, collections and some html experience

Awards:
Magna Cum Laude

LORS:
3 Small animals veterinarians that I have worked over the past 5 years
Graduate Adviser - well respected Zoologist specializing in marine mammals

Personal Statement:
I started out with a narrative describing a situation this past summer where I watched a dog get hit by a car while on vacation in Honduras. His leg was ripped clean from his body, but the dog didn't die. Then I went into how people around me keep telling me "I can't save them all" and how I keep trying and I recognize that "saving" them sometimes means ending there suffering through humane euthanasia. The next paragraph I discuss my previous work experience and how I actually enjoy going to work in a vet hospital because every day is something new and a learning experience. I briefly described a case of a dog that presented with apparent bloat, the owner had financial concerns, and it turned out the dog had swallowed a small pin that worked it's way through the stomach and became lodged in the caudal vena cava. The dog of course needed multiple expensive surgeries at Penn. I then addressed the obstacles I faced as a non-trad/single parent and how in some ways it may have actually helped me. Mixed in there was my thirst for knowledge and love of academia and how I'm glad vet med demands continuing education. The final paragraph wraps it all up and brings off of my previous points together to show how I'm ready for vet school.
 
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36yo, Pennsylvania resident, 3rd time applicant (technically 4th, but my first application cycle was a huge error on my part)

Applied: Guelph, Iowa State, Midwestern, UGA, UPenn, VMRCVM
Interview: Iowa (declined), Midwestern, UPenn
Wait-listed: None
Rejected: Guelph, VMRCVM
Accepted: Midwestern, UPenn
Attending: UPenn :love:

GPA: 3.5
Last 45 hour: 3.5
Science GPA: 3.45
GRE (Q/V/W) 540/660/4.5 (equivalent to 156/152/4.5 on new scale)

Veterinary Experience:
9000+ hours as a veterinary technician at a small animal practice

Research Experience:
320 hours Stingray kinematics in collaboration with the US Navy
1000 hours Phocid flipper morphology - Graduate paper (hopefully to be published)

Animal Experience:
5400 hours working at a pet store/animal husbandry small mammals, reptiles, fish & inverts
2100 hours volunteer at a cat rescue

Non-Animal Employment:
Too numerous to list, but various jobs over 10 years including accounts payable, accounts receivable, customer service, collections and some html experience

Awards:
Magna Cum Laude

LORS:
3 Small animals veterinarians that I have worked over the past 5 years
Graduate Adviser - well respected Zoologist specializing in marine mammals

Personal Statement:
I started out with a narrative describing a situation this past summer where I watched a dog get hit by a car while on vacation in Honduras. His leg was ripped clean from his body, but the dog didn't die. Then I went into how people around me keep telling me "I can't save them all" and how I keep trying and I recognize that "saving" them sometimes means ending there suffering through humane euthanasia. The next paragraph I discuss my previous work experience and how I actually enjoy going to work in a vet hospital because every day is something new and a learning experience. I briefly described a case of a dog that presented with apparent bloat, the owner had financial concerns, and it turned out the dog had swallowed a small pin that worked it's way through the stomach and became lodged in the caudal vena cava. The dog of course needed multiple expensive surgeries as Penn. I then addressed the obstacles I faced as a non-trad/single parent and how in some ways it may have actually helped me. Mixed in there was my thirst for knowledge and love of academia and how I'm glad vet med demands continuing education. The final paragraph wraps it all up and brings off of my previous points together to show how I'm ready for vet school.

Congrats again! Look forward to meeting you!
 
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20 year old, junior in college. I am proof that you don't need a bachelors degree to be accepted!

Applied: Iowa State
Interview: Iowa State
Wait-listed: N/A
Rejected: N/A
Accepted: Iowa State!
Attending: ISU :love:

GPA: 3.90
Last 45 hour: 3.90
Science GPA: 3.75
GRE (Q/V/W) 154/157/4.5

Veterinary Experience:
~1000 hours distributed almost evenly between shelter medicine, private small animal clinic, and large animal medicine
~250 hours at ISU vet school's diagnostic/pathology lab (primarily livestock)

Research Experience:
100 hours bacterial persistence research on Staph infection in sheep
500 hours - microbial genomics involving CRISPR Interference

Animal Experience:
Thousands of hours from: showing dogs/pigs/sheep/horses in 4-H for 10 years; showing dogs in AKC for 4 years; working at boarding kennel for a year; working at Canine Rehabilitation Center at ISU vet school for a summer (didn't count as veterinary experience because my boss was a vet tech- not a veterinarian); working as vet school kennel assistant during undergrad - again this boss was not a veterinarian

Non-Animal Employment:
Nanny, Cashier at grocery store, Dietary Aide at nursing home, Teaching assistant for microbiology labs, peer mentor for microbiology freshmen

Awards:
I listed a bunch from 4-H, various scholarships, and other random awards like from music competitions in high school

Leadership:
Leadership was a major component of my application. I held various positions in high school like 4-H president, 4-H national congress representative, 4-H youth-adult partnership chair, student council president and key club vp. My college leadership experiences include: president of my residence hall floor for one year, peer mentor, freshmen orientation leader, honors ambassador, first-year honors program leader, positions in microbiology club and positions in pre-vet club

LORS:
The small animal veterinarian I worked for during high school
My college's honors program administrator - I am super involved in my honors program and she went on a service trip with me to Belize
My undergraduate adviser who is my boss for my peer mentor position
The professor who hired me for his CRISPR research project
The professor who led the microbiology lab where I was a teaching assistant
 
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21 yr old female FL resident, 1st time applicant
Graduating in April with a BS in Bio and a BA in Writing

Applied: Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Penn
Interviewed: Tennessee, Penn
Accepted: Tennessee
Attending: Tennessee :biglove:

Overall GPA: 3.69
Science GPA: 3.43
Last 45 credits: 3.74

GRE (Q/V/W): 159/168/5.5

Veterinary Experience:
Vet assistant at small animal/exotics/wildlife clinic - 580
Intern at National Aviary - 250
Volunteer at 2 shelters - 180
Shadow at small animal clinic - 50

Research Experience:
None

Animal Experience:
Shelter volunteer - 200
Zoo keeper assistant - 65
Wildlife rehab volunteer - 4
Pet ownership - 2500
Pet sitting - 100

Non-Animal Employment:
None

Extracurriculars / Etc:
Fiction writing, 2 published short stories
Dystopian Book Club
Doctor Who club

LORs:
Aviary vet
Shelter vet
Biochem lab professor
English professor

Personal Statement:
I started out talking about my cat (life-threatening accident, coma, recovery, etc) and how taking care of her sparked my interest in vet med at a young age. I then basically went through my most important vet experiences chronologically, detailing how they shaped my interests. I ended by talking about my vision for my future as a vet.
 
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21 yr old female FL resident, 1st time applicant
Graduating in April with a BS in Bio and a BA in Writing

Applied: Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Penn
Interviewed: Tennessee, Penn
Accepted: Tennessee
Attending: Tennessee :biglove:

Overall GPA: 3.69
Science GPA: 3.43
Last 45 credits: 3.74

GRE (Q/V/W): 159/168/5.5

Veterinary Experience:
Vet assistant at small animal/exotics/wildlife clinic - 580
Intern at National Aviary - 250
Volunteer at 2 shelters - 180
Shadow at small animal clinic - 50

Research Experience:
None

Animal Experience:
Shelter volunteer - 200
Zoo keeper assistant - 65
Wildlife rehab volunteer - 4
Pet ownership - 2500
Pet sitting - 100

Non-Animal Employment:
None

Extracurriculars / Etc:
Fiction writing, 2 published short stories
Dystopian Book Club
Doctor Who club

LORs:
Aviary vet
Shelter vet
Biochem lab professor
English professor

Personal Statement:
I started out talking about my cat (life-threatening accident, coma, recovery, etc) and how taking care of her sparked my interest in vet med at a young age. I then basically went through my most important vet experiences chronologically, detailing how they shaped my interests. I ended by talking about my vision for my future as a vet.
Dystopian Book Club sounds like my kind of club! I wish my undergrad had something like that.
 
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Dystopian Book Club sounds like my kind of club! I wish my undergrad had something like that.
You could always start one :D We have a bunch of book clubs/reading groups run by the honors college, but Donuts & Dystopias is the best.

ETA: Just realized you're a vet student already. Maybe you can start a Dystopian Book Club there ;)
 
You could always start one :D We have a bunch of book clubs/reading groups run by the honors college, but Donuts & Dystopias is the best.

ETA: Just realized you're a vet student already. Maybe you can start a Dystopian Book Club there ;)
Hmm I don't think it'd really fit in with the other clubs ;) I'll just have to have book discussions with my cat since I don't think a lot of other vet students spend their free time reading for fun haha.
 
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21 yr old female FL resident, 1st time applicant
Graduating in April with a BS in Bio and a BA in Writing

Applied: Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Penn
Interviewed: Tennessee, Penn
Accepted: Tennessee
Attending: Tennessee :biglove:

Overall GPA: 3.69
Science GPA: 3.43
Last 45 credits: 3.74

GRE (Q/V/W): 159/168/5.5

Veterinary Experience:
Vet assistant at small animal/exotics/wildlife clinic - 580
Intern at National Aviary - 250
Volunteer at 2 shelters - 180
Shadow at small animal clinic - 50

Research Experience:
None

Animal Experience:
Shelter volunteer - 200
Zoo keeper assistant - 65
Wildlife rehab volunteer - 4
Pet ownership - 2500
Pet sitting - 100

Non-Animal Employment:
None

Extracurriculars / Etc:
Fiction writing, 2 published short stories
Dystopian Book Club
Doctor Who club

LORs:
Aviary vet
Shelter vet
Biochem lab professor
English professor

Personal Statement:
I started out talking about my cat (life-threatening accident, coma, recovery, etc) and how taking care of her sparked my interest in vet med at a young age. I then basically went through my most important vet experiences chronologically, detailing how they shaped my interests. I ended by talking about my vision for my future as a vet.

It's a bit uncanny some of the similarities I noted between your life and mine o_O =)
 
Very similar stats, working with exotics, aptitude for writing, similar personal statement structure... I mean there's a lot of differences too, but still!
Are you interested in exotics for your future career? I'm leaning towards zoo myself but pretty much anything with special species interests me.
 
Are you interested in exotics for your future career? I'm leaning towards zoo myself but pretty much anything with special species interests me.

Sort of! I'm really interested in epidemiology so that could lead me to work with just about any species. I did a lot of work with primates in my undergrad, so I have a soft spot for them.
 
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Sort of! I'm really interested in epidemiology so that could lead me to work with just about any species. I did a lot of work with primates in my undergrad, so I have a soft spot for them.
Haha I'm also interested in epidemiology, I'm considering doing the MPH at Tennessee. Most of my work at the zoo was with great apes :D but I'm partial to big cats.
 
Haha I'm also interested in epidemiology, I'm considering doing the MPH at Tennessee. Most of my work at the zoo was with great apes :D but I'm partial to big cats.

Yeah - I really want to do an MPH program. That's awesome you got to work with apes!
 
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22 yr old male VA resident, 1st time applicant
Graduating from university of virginia in May with a BS in Bio and a BA in Music

Applied: Missouri, Virginia-Maryland, Kansas, Wisconsin, NC-state
Interviewed: Missouri, Virginia-Maryland, Kansas
Waitlisted: NC-State
Accepted: Missouri, Virginia-Maryland, Kansas, Wisconsin
Attending: MIZZOU!!!!! :D

Overall GPA: 3.85
Science GPA: 3.81
Last 45 credits: 3.88

GRE (Q/V/W): 164/162/6.0

Veterinary Experience:
Vet assistant at multiple small animal/exotics corporate clinic - 2700 hours
Shadowing exotics vet - 25 hours
Shadowing equine vet with focus in acupuncture - 100 hours
Shadowing large animal vet - 20 hours
Derm veterinary conference - 2o hours
Ophthalmology veterinary conference - 20 hours

Research Experience:
Research on the effect of fibronectin adhesion on Xenopus embryo development - 110 hours
The effect of diet (various sugars) on cribbing - 20 hours (had much more then that but a lot of it was applying results provided to me by the researcher for Intel and ISEF and all of that fun stuff, so I just decided to do the amount of hours I actually spent analyzing results for her)

Animal Experience:
Ring Steward for National Peruvian Horse Show - 25 hours
Animal ownership/family farm (ex's farm) - 70 hours
Pet sitting - 125 hours
4-H Veterinary program sponsored through Cornell - 20 hours

Non-Animal Employment:
Grader for Intro to Immunology Course - 42 hours
Banquet Organizer for marching band -25 hours
Residential Adviser for International Dorm - 760 hours
Cashier at Waldbaums - 800 hours

Extracurriculars / Etc:
Instructor of Clinical Immunology course at undergrad through CavEd program
Teaching assistant for Intro to Immunology Class
Pre-vet society
Marching Band
Assorted Intramural Sports

LORs:
2 doctors from hospital that I worked at for over 2000 of the 2700 hours for that corporation
1 from faculty adviser who co-taught my course, and was Director of Programs for Residential College I RA'd at

Personal Statement:
I talked about how I developed an interest in medicine early on when my mom got breast cancer, and later, how this interest in medicine developed into an interest in veterinary medicine. Discussed my other two passions of Immunology and teaching and described how that tailored my career aspirations of wanting to teach at the vet school level.
 
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I'm definitely an example of getting in with less than stellar grades!!!! EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE. Find a way to off set bad parts of your application :)

24 y/o female Texas resident
B.S. in Biomedical Sciences c/o 2013 TAMU
MS in progress but will no be finished also @ TAMU
THIRD time applicant--->Third time is the charm :soexcited:

Applied: Texas A&M
Interviewed: Texas A&M
Waitlisted: None
Accepted: Texas A&M
Attending: Texas A&M WHOOOOOP!

Overall GPA: 3.41
Science GPA: 3.37
Last 45 credits: 3.56

(Side note My GPA is probably slightly different because of my grad school classes but I'm too lazy to check the updated ones)

GRE (Q/V/W): 155/151/4.5

Veterinary Experience:
Veterinary technician at two different small animal hospitals: 4000 hours
Equine Shadowing: 1000 hours
Small Animal shadowing prior to employment: 500 hours

Research Experience:
NONE

Animal Experience:
Pet ownership- 100 hours (In reality it's probably 20000)
Small animal-->5000 (Pet sitting, Worked at a boarding facility)
Exotics-->100 hours
Equine-->15000 hours (Maxed out on this because I own horses and did lots of volunteering for the barns I boarded at)
Small Ruminant-->200 hours (Sister showed a goat that we ended up keeping)

Non-Animal Employment:
Customer service representative-->Way too many hours of my life wasted

Extracurriculars / Etc:
Not sure if this is an extracurricular type, but I did discuss how I've held a job since my sophomore year of college so I've always balanced school and work
Horseback riding
Pre-Vet society
Biomedical Sciences Association

LORs:
1 Practicing Veterinarian (Equine)
1 DVM but he is a professor
1 Coach from high school that I did a lot of leadership work with.

Personal Statement:
i Talked about where my love of animals initially started and how that broadened into a love of science and medicine. I incorporated how my experiences working and shadowing veterinarians have only solidified my career choice and that I really want to focus on preventative medicine and educating the population about pro-active pet health care.



Typing out my actual stats makes me feel like I don't deserve to post here but I will say this: For any of you who are looking on this thread as a first time applicant, second, third, or 30th time applicant DO A FILE REVIEW. I was rejected twice before getting accepted.
I applied and didn't get interview my first time, got an interview my second time, interviewed and got accepted a third time. I worked my ass off to improve the parts of my application that I could and I only knew what to improve on because I did a file review. Congrats to everyone accepted and good luck to those of you applying next cycle.
 
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I'm definitely an example of getting in with less than stellar grades!!!! EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE. Find a way to off set bad parts of your application :)

Can I just say that it's great to see applicants get accepted without a "perfect" GPA. Grades were a huge hangup for me for a long time, but I truly believe perseverance and diligence in the wake of adversity speaks volumes!! Not to discredit people who worked really hard for their 4.0s and whatnot - y'all are awesome (really!) - it's just this goes to show there are all kinds of smarts and talents, and I'm really glad to have found this little corner of the internet where we can appreciate the unique qualities that get us crazy kids into vet school. Congrats to everyone this cycle!

Sorry if I sound like a smarmy cheerleader, but the positivity is just radiating out of me today. :soexcited:
 
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Edit because some weird attachment thingy showed up when I posted :(
I totally agree with @ameropean_chelsea - it takes all kinds! In my case, academics were good but my experience was lacking. I'm so excited to get to post here!!!!

24 y/o female Texas resident
B.A. in Honors English c/o 2012
Post-bacc for EVERY requirement except General Biology haha
1st time applicant

Applied: Texas A&M
Interviewed: Texas A&M
Waitlisted: None
Accepted: Texas A&M
Attending: Texas A&M!!!!!!! :soexcited:

Overall GPA: 3.89
Science GPA: 3.94
Last 45 credits: 4.0

GRE (Q/V/W): 161/170/5.0

Veterinary Experience:
Shadowing equine: 80 hours
Volunteering in surgery at an animal shelter: 250 hours
Shadowing the head vet a shelter: 70 hours
Working as a vet tech in an SA clinic: at time of application I had just started this job, so I only had like 50 hours

Research Experience:
South American turtle biogeography and speciation (presented this and was published on the paper): 400 hours
Bowhead whale genetics and diversity (paid): 750 hours

Animal Experience:
Small animal: 500 hours (Pet sitting, ownership, volunteering at various shelters, fostering kittens)
Equine: 100 hours (Volunteer at therapeutic riding facility and working in barns)
Wildlife/exotics: 100 hours (Volunteer at a wildlife center and field work for research)

Non-Animal Employment:
Shift leader at Starbucks - 2 years
Camp counselor/ropes course facilitator: 4 years
Content and Social Media Writer/Developer - 1 year

Extracurriculars / Etc:
National Merit Scholar, Dean's List, some other academic whatnot
Honors College at my undergrad and honors program in my post-bacc
Some community service stuff - a few mission trips, volunteering, etc
Intramural sports, Equitation team, Op-ed column in the newspaper
A couple awards for research projects
Texas Society of Mammologists

LORs:
Head Veterinarian at the city shelter where I spent a LOT of time
My research mentor (PhD and a mammologist but not a DVM)
Supervisor/rehabilitator at the wildlife center where I volunteered <-- my planned 3rd writer flaked out on me so I had to scramble in September to find a third and I had only been volunteering there for a few weeks :/ Definitely CONFIRM LORs months before the app is due and make sure you know them well enough to bug them for it if they forget!

Personal Statement:
I talked about research and why I want to do it, what skills I've learned from my work thus far, and what I can offer by having a non-science background and how that gives me a sense of sureness that I wouldn't have had if I had gone right into vet school out of college. I know it sounds boring, but I really spent a lot of time on it and all my essays - coming from an English degree background I figured they'd expect a lot out of me, and I wanted to deliver ;)

I thought my application overall was pretty good, but looking back it seems kinda meh...I think my biggest asset was obviously my grades/GRE, and I really tried to be memorable in my essays. I tried to be very clear about the direction I wanted to take and the ways in which I would accomplish my goals, and why my experience thus far makes me a good candidate.

This forum was super inspiring/helpful to me when I was applying so I hope that my post can help future applicants out there! The important thing to remember is that the whole process is so individual - there is no "right" candidate! Just keep plugging away, get the best grades/score/experience you can, and demonstrate YOUR best qualities on your app! Good luck!!
 
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23 y/o female Virginia Resident
B.A. in Integrative Animal Biology, University of South Florida, c/o 2014
2nd time applicant

Applied: Virginia-Maryland, Auburn, Iowa State, St. George's, Western, U of Illinois, Mississippi, Purdue, Midwestern, Penn
Interviewed: St. George's, Midwestern, Purdue, Auburn, U of Illinois
Waitlisted: Illinois
Accepted: St. George's, Midwestern, & Purdue
Attending: PURDUE :)

Overall GPA: 3.41
Science GPA: 3.10
Last 45 credits: 3.18

GRE (Q/V/W): 157/157/4.5

Veterinary Experience:
Volunteered at Spay Day while in college each month
Volunteered in local SPCA clinic for 2 summers while in college (acting as vet assistant)
Shadowed a local Equine Vet for a small amount of time
Worked as a Veterinary Assistant in Emergency Clinic after graduating from undergrad

Research Experience:
One small Project my last semester, maybe 50 hours

Animal Experience:
Small animal: Volunteered at local SPCA while in high school, owned pets my whole life
Equine: Don't know hours, but did work with a therapeutic horseback riding organization, & rode horses
Wildlife/exotics: None

Non-Animal Employment:
During High School, was a Cashier at Panera Bread

Extracurriculars / Etc:
Pre-Vet Society at the University of South Florida
Swim Team at the University of South Florida
Wrote for the school paper occasionally

LORs:
Dr that I shadowed at the SPCA
Dr that I worked with at the Emergency clinic
TA that I worked with for research
Professor that I took an upper-level science course with

Personal Statement:
I wanted to revamp my statement from the previous year. I tried to concentrate on what made me prepared for the field and really focus on the skills that I had honed from each of my experiences. I also spoke about how I had been knocked down, but that didn't discourage me. I also tried to keep a common theme with three attributes I felt that I had that would aid me in the field: adaptability, patience, and determination.

Overall, I know my academic side was weak - my GRE scores helped me there. What I think really stood out about me was my Emergency clinic experience and the fact that I had experienced the "real world" aspects of this profession and was able to convey that during my interviews. Purdue, here I come! :biglove:
 
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So clarify this for me here: I didn't put pet ownership on the application, because I read somewhere that schools don't count pet ownership as hours. Is this correct? I see people putting pet ownership hours and then I'm like damnit...I could have added 2-3000 hours to my application if that were the case!
 
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I think some schools count it, some schools don't. I added pet ownership because my family raised and bred Pomeranians for a few years.
 
Still pretty stoked to be getting to post in this thread. Shout out to all the other low GPA'ers!

25 yr old applicant from New Mexico, second time applicant

First Application Cycle
Applied
: Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Wisconsin
Interviews: Nada
Accepted: Nill

Second Application Cycle
Applied
: Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Wisconsin, Michigan, Kansas, Purdue, Davis, Tennessee, Ohio, NC State
Interviews: Washington, Purdue, Kansas, Ohio
Accepted: Colorado
Attending: Colorado!!!!!

Overall GPA: 3.2
Science GPA: 3.0 i think
Last 45 credits: 3.2

GRE First time (Q/V/W): 152/148/4.5
Second time (Q/V/W): 154/154/2.5 (Didn't care at all about the writing portion second time around)

Veterinary Experience:
Veterinary Technician at small animal Specialty and Emergency Center - ~8000hrs (I have worked there since I was 16 and now am the ER vet tech)
VIDA Volunteer - 32hrs

Research Experience:
Spent two summers doing grunt work in a lab that studied Peruvian hummingbirds (lots of data input)
Spent 6 1/2 weeks in the Caribbean assisting a PhD candidate in flight morphology and mechanics

Animal Experience:
Wildlife rehabilitation center - 24 hrs
Wildlife sanctuary - 100 hrs
Enrichment at the zoo - 120 hrs
Pet sitting - 1000 hrs
Volunteered in kennel facility - 450 hrs

Non-Animal Employment:
One of the summers I spent doing research I got paid for it

Extracurriculars / Etc:
Pre-Vet Club President and Activities Chair
Crisis Hotline Volunteer - 300 hrs
Science Camp Counselor
Kickball league participant
Ran a local 5k
High School Softball - 4yr Varsity
Along with my crisis hotline work, I am trained in two methods of suicide prevention/intervention
Have spoken at several High Schools in our area about my personal experiences (PM me if you wanna know)

LORs:
Research PI
ER vet I work with
Internal Med vet I've known for 8yrs

Personal Statement:
I focused on my experience. I knew I wasn't getting in with my grades, so I explained who all of my various experiences (both animal and not) have made me into an ideal candidate to become a veterinarian. I feel that it was very strong and unapologetic considering my low GPA. A big thing I focused on was my desire to help both animals and people. With my experience in crisis work, I am very well prepared to handle the emotional stress of vet med. My conclusion was basically, "I know exactly what I'm getting into and I want nothing more to be a part of this profession."

Explanation Statement:
Since I did have such a low GPA I wanted to somehow explain that. Instead of doing a sob story where it was obvious I was trying to get pity or sympathy, I didn't even say what my issue was. I said, "After my freshman year in college, I faced a personal challenge that required intervention and extensive treatment. " That was as deep as I went into the issue. I then went on to talk about how I got help and started focusing on my academics. Though I didn't have a drastic change in my GPA (I'm not a straight A student), I could show that there was a very subtle but positive improvement in my grades over the course of the rest of my schooling. I also explained what I did to improve my application from last year (retaking GRE, taking A&P and Animal Nutrition, and continued working/volunteering).
 
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In response to the pet ownership I know specifically TAMU caps it at 100 on their application......and I know most horse owners (like myself) add extra hours because it's so much more than just owning a pet, and I was very involved at my barn so it wasn't just my own horses I was taking care of.
So clarify this for me here: I didn't put pet ownership on the application, because I read somewhere that schools don't count pet ownership as hours. Is this correct? I see people putting pet ownership hours and then I'm like damnit...I could have added 2-3000 hours to my application if that were the case!
 
Another non-traditional applicant with a lower-than-average GPA...there's hope! I'm a little embarrassed to post my stats, but I know this thread gave me hope last year, so here goes. Also, according to my file review from last year, the shining point of my application was actually my interview -- and I would guess that's why I got accepted to both of the schools I interviewed at this year. Don't be afraid of the interview, folks, embrace it and let the school see you as more than a number!

24 y/o female Tennessee Resident
2 bachelor's, Physiology and Biology
2nd time applicant

Applied: Tennessee, Mississippi State, UGA
Interviewed: Tennessee, Mississippi State
Waitlisted: None
Accepted: Tennessee, Mississippi State
Attending: Tennessee!!

Overall GPA: 3.29
Science GPA: 3.11
Last 45 credits: 3.67

GRE (Q/V/W): 154/159/4.5

Veterinary Experience:
625 hours with a small animal vet
250 hours with an equine vet

Research Experience:
550 hours environmental biology research

Animal Experience:
British Horse Society I&II certified
100 hours Pet-Sitting Business
10,000 Animal Ownership/Family Farm
200 hours 4-H/FFA
60 hours horse show groom for [big name trainer A] (no, I didn't quit or get fired after only 60 hours, it was a random free-lance gig, haha)
10,000 hours caring for, exercising, and managing upper-level horses for [big name trainer B]
250 hours managing a barn for [big name trainer C]

Non-Animal Employment:
Didn't list any on my application, didn't seem relevant

Extracurriculars / Etc:
Food Project volunteer (feeding the homeless)
Senior Citizen organization volunteer
Community Event organizer
Horse rescue volunteer
Club President
Key Club member
Active Equestrian competitor

Awards:
Selected to present research at University-wide Scholars' week
Dean's List a bunch of semesters
Scholarships
Various horse show awards

LORs:
Equine vet I worked for
Small animal vet I worked for
DVM head of research at [big name University]

Personal Statement:
Started out by noting that I actually did not know that I wanted to be a vet from a young age, in contrast to the majority of applicants. Explained my change of heart, and how I went about my pre-vet journey with talking about my veterinary experiences and research. Finished with why I am now ready for vet school!
 
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In response to the pet ownership I know specifically TAMU caps it at 100 on their application......and I know most horse owners (like myself) add extra hours because it's so much more than just owning a pet, and I was very involved at my barn so it wasn't just my own horses I was taking care of.

Yeah I put all my hours working at my h/j barn on my application, but I didn't put pet ownership on there. My reasoning was: every prevet has to have owned a pet. lol
 
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22 yr old female IL resident, 1st time applicant
Bachelor's Degree in Biology

Applied: Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa
Accepted: Wisconsin, Illinois
Waitlisted: Iowa
Attending: Wisconsin has been my #1 all along but I will make my official decision after I attend their open house and make a pro/con list. ;)

Overall GPA: 3.76
Science GPA: 3.75 by my calculations, but I think it's a little lower by the schools'. I have no idea how/why, lol.
Last 45 credits: 4.0 (I did better in upper-level science than in lower levels...that figures. But I was adjusting to college and the workforce when I first started undergrad.)

GRE (Q/V/W): 155/160/5.0

Veterinary Experience:
Worked at SA vet as receptionist/assistant - 1,100 hours
Shadowed numerous SA vets - 36
Shadowed numerous equine vets (hospital setting, mobile vet, and one surgery) - 24

Research Experience:
Summer research fellowship working out the cellular mechanism of celecoxib action on A7r5 vascular smooth muscle cells, with departmental presentation at conclusion - 500
Undergrad research on growth/allometry in Kinosternid turtles, with two annual campus presentations - 390

Animal Experience:
Riding lessons - 216
Volunteer at riding stables - 104
Caring for friends' horses when away, one horse with medical need (had to wrap punctured hoof daily) - 428
Volunteering at horse rescue - 16 at time of application, grew to approximately 160+ during waiting process (Wisconsin had a delayed supplemental app and wanted to know what I had done since filing VMCAS, so this was important)
Pet ownership - one cat who developed medical needs before passing, one rescue cat with medical needs, one dog whom I spent hours training obedience for show but fought cancer for 3 years, and one rescue dog with anxiety problems - 17,400
Pet-sitting for neighbors away on vacation - 45
High school class where we learned how to care for and handle exotics - 230

*Edited to add - The reason I put animal ownership in is because I had put extensive work in some form or another with almost every single one of my animals. I was in serious obedience training with the dog in my avatar and got a CGC certificate on him (was going for CD titles but then he became ill with cancer). Then my rescue dog has had serious anxiety issues that required lots of socialization and training. My rescue kitten had one medical problem after another for a while, but it seems to have all stabilized now. :)

Non-Animal Employment:
Cashier/Switchboard Operator at car dealership - 1,145
Dining Room Attendant at Restaurant - 975
I worked these jobs 25-30 hours per week while in undergrad, so this left practically no time for extracurriculars.

Extracurriculars / Etc:
Honors Program Member
Pre-vet club (only freshman year...work schedule clashed with meetings for rest of undergrad)
School-sponsored trip to National Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC
Bird watching
ASPET Student Member (through my summer fellowship)
Polish-English Translator
Private tutor for special-needs girl

LORs:
SA veterinarian I worked for
PI from my summer fellowship
Professor/research mentor/advisor from undergrad
Professor from undergrad

Personal Statement:
Started right away with my desire to mesh my love for animals with my love of research, then backed up a bit and talked about my childhood vet dreams growing up in NYC and wanting but not being able to be around animals. Explained how the childish simplicity of loving animals evolved into the drive for success that then pushed me into a professional-level appreciation of biological sciences. Went back full-circle to combining the two into my drive for pushing the vet med field forward via discovery.

Diversity Statement:
As an Eastern European immigrant, English is my second language, and my parents and I have no family in the US to support us in times of hardship. Financial difficulties led us to lose our home and I had to work my way through college.
 
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I'm living proof that you don't need thousands of hours to be accepted! However, with such low hours I felt like I was standing on thin ice throughout the whole application process, so I would not recommend going the same route that I did.

22 yr old first time applicant from WI. I will be receiving my BA in Biology with an Economics minor in May.

Applied
: Cornell, VA-MD, Minnesota, Wisconsin

Waitlisted: None
Interviews: Minnesota

Rejections: Cornell, VA-MD (technically, I was waitlisted for their interview process)
Accepted: Minnesota, Wisconsin

Attending: Wisconsin!!!!!
I love MN, but WI IS tuition vs. MN OOS tuition makes this a no-brainer.

Overall GPA: 3.69
Science GPA: ~3.75
Last 45 credits: ~3.75

GRE (Q/V/W): 166/161/5.5


Veterinary Experience:
Shadowing my dog’s veterinarian at his mixed animal practice - 200 hours small animal, 25 hours large animals (all dairy cows)
Shadowing at a local equine hospital - 6 hours

Research Experience:
None at time of application, however after submitting the VMCAS app I was selected to be part of the Mayo Innovation Scholars Program working on a product with researchers at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. I also started an independent research project on CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in C. elegans with one of my professors this (Spring 2015) semester. I noted both on my WI supplemental, notified MN of both during my interview, and notified Cornell about the Mayo program only on their supplemental (I hadn’t found out about the independent project at the time I submitted their supplemental).

Animal Experience:
Internship at a zoo - 170 hrs
Volunteering as a dog walker at a humane society - 89 hrs at time of application, but ongoing
Volunteering at an equestrian therapeutic riding center - 33 hrs
Hunter/jumper horseback riding lessons during middle school – 300 hrs

Non-Animal Employment:
160 hours at a pizza factory (temp job)
450 hours as a student aide and then student manager at my college library (ongoing)
300 hours working in the campus cafeteria
1900 hours working as a food server and then manager of an aquatics center concession stand

Extracurriculars / Awards:
Received a Gilman Scholarship for study abroad in Australia
Received a shadowing fellowship to financially support shadowing my veterinarian during the summer
Dean’s list for a few semesters
Received a competitive scholarship from my HS for college
NHS member in HS
Tri-M Music Honors Society member in HS
Travel Grant committee member at my college
Member of my college’s viola da gamba consort (I play treble viol)
Literacy tutor for a semester during college at a local after school program
Intramural sports in college
Chamber orchestra member and pit orchestra member in HS
Key Club VP/Treasurer in HS
Girls on the Run volunteer coach in HS
JV/Varsity tennis player and JV soccer player in HS
Varsity Math team in HS

LORs:
Both veterinarians that I shadowed from my dog’s vet clinic
My academic advisor in college
The head zookeeper from the zoo I interned at

Personal Statement:
Nothing special, really. I wrote about my love of science, love of animals, love of the OneHealth Initiative, and desire to work in research or public health.

Diversity Statement:
I am a first generation college student, so I discussed my experiences from that prospective. I also discussed how studying abroad (my first time outside of the US!) changed me and how going to a small liberal arts college with no real pre-vet opportunities made me have to work extra hard to gain veterinary experience.
 
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I was so confident I would not be accepted this cycle, but at least one school saw something they liked in me! I really think the interview helped and if I had to apply again, I wouldn't choose so many schools that don't interview.

I'm a 21 yr old first time applicant from NY and I have a BS in biology.

Applied: Cornell, UPenn, Michigan, Wisconsin, UTK and NCSU
Interview: Michigan
Rejected: Cornell, UPenn, Wisconsin, UTK and NCSU
Accepted: Michigan!!!!!!!

Overall GPA: 3.73
Science GPA: 3.53
Last 45: 3.86

GRE: (Q/V/A) 157/152/3

Veterinary Experience: 400 hrs SA and exotics vet, 20 hrs SA vet, 60 hrs LA vet, 100 hrs SA emergency/specialty hospital

Animal Experience: 50 hrs animal shelter, 200 hrs working in a lab animal room, 100 hrs working at Petco

Research Experience: 400 hrs doing research in iguanid evolution.

Non-animal employment: 1000 hrs working at McDonalds, 2000 hrs as a night manager for a frozen yogurt store, 500 hrs working as a lab tech assistant

LORs: the SA vet I spent 400 hrs with, LA vet and my professor/pre-vet advisor from undergrad

Personal Statement: I began with telling a story of a particularly hectic day shadowing the SA vet and how he questioned if it was really what I wanted to do, then went into why I want to be a veterinarian and why I believe I am cut out for the job. Then I had something about how my love of exotics grew from my research and described what it was all about.

Looking back, I am still in shock that I was accepted. I hope someone who's reading this in the future can be inspired by my mediocre stats and know that they definitely have a chance! Also, just rock your interviews. I think that really helps...
 
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Somewhat of a non-traditional student, I studied business my first two years and completed two business internships in insurance and real estate. I then studied abroad for a year and came to the realization that I wanted to follow my dreams and be a veterinarian. I've been taking a heavy course load to finish all my prerequisites and will be graduating this May as a 5th year senior.

22 yr old first time applicant from CT. Will graduate with a bachelor of science in Animal Science and a business minor.

Applied: Ohio State, Iowa State, Mizzou, UPenn, Texas A&M, Tufts, NCSU
Waitlisted: None
Interviews: Ohio State, Iowa State, Mizzou, UPenn, Texas A&M, Tufts
Rejections: NCSU
Accepted: Ohio State, Iowa State, Mizzou, UPenn, Texas A&M, Tufts
Attending: Texas A&M!! :)

Overall GPA: 3.74
Science GPA: 3.94
Last 45 credits: 3.96

GRE (Q/V/W): 157/157/4.5


Veterinary Experience:
150 hrs Mixed Animal Practice Intern
600 hrs Small Animal Hospital Veterinary Assistant

Research Experience:
150 hrs research assistant looking at effects of maternal overfed and underfed diets on embryonic growth in a sheep model

Animal Experience:
Working student at hunter/jumper show stable
Kennel Assistant

Non-Animal Employment:
2 yrs waitressing
summer internship at a large insurance company
summer internship at a commercial real estate company

Extracurriculars / Awards:
Registered therapy dog team with my dog
Therapeutic horseback riding volunteer
A few academic scholarships
Dean's List
1 yr study abroad in Germany

LORs:
Veterinarian at mixed animal practice
Veterinarian at small animal practice
Animal Science Advisor
Animal Science Professor

Personal Statement:
Opened with a memorable case at my small animal clinic and talked about how I came to realize I wanted to study vet med after studying business for 2 yrs and a year abroad in Germany.
 
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22 y/o female Pennsylvania Resident
B.A. in Biology with a specialization in Pre-Health studies (Graduated in 3 years)
1st time applicant

Applied: LMU, Virginia-Maryland, Iowa State, U of Illinois, Mississippi, Tufts, Minnesota, Ohio, Kansas(I still have yet to hear from themo_O), Missouri
Interviews: LMU, Iowa State, U of Illinois, Mississippi (declined interview)
Waitlisted: Iowa State (accepted in April), U of Illinois (accepted in July)
Accepted: LMU
Attending: LMU :love:

Overall GPA: 3.65
Science GPA: 3.35
Last 45 credits: 3.65

GRE (Q/V/W): 153/152/4.5 (This was the 3rd attempt... I absolutely hated this test!)

Veterinary Experience:
- 750 hours working with two different small animal vets
- 300 hours working with a large animal vet
- 25 hours working with the PA Game Commission's wildlife vet in bear den studies
- 12 hours with an equine vet

Animal Experience:
~ 300 hours processing black bears with the PA Game Commission
(Included: den work, sedation, tooth extraction, tagging, lip tattooing, treatment of wounds and weighing.)
~ 700 hours caring for a variety of orphaned and injured wildlife including: fawns, black bear cubs, owls, hawks, squirrels and many others.
(My father is a wildlife conservation officer)
-100 hours pet ownership
(I really have had pets my whole life, but seeing as how most schools don't care about this I just capped it at 100)

Research Experience:
None

Employment:
Supplemental Instructor for Organic Chemistry courses at my undergraduate college (~300 hours)
Cashier/Manager at local grocery store (7 years)
Spanish Tutor in high school (~60 hours)

Extracurriculars / Etc:
Graduated Cum Laude
1st place for a video entry at my school's undergraduate research symposium
Dean's list every semester
Mercy Presidential Scholarship
Biology Fellowship
Honor's Fellowship
English Fellowship
High Honor Recognition in high school
VP of my college's chapter of Colleges Against Cancer (Would have taken over had I not graduated early)
Writer for college newspaper
Student Ambassador
National Honor Society
National Society of Leadership and Success

LORs:
SA vet I worked for
Mixed practice vet I worked with for two summers
Head of the Biology Department at my college
Organic Professor I tutored for
My boss from the grocery store

Personal Statement:
I started mine off with a brief story about three orphaned owlets that came to my care in dire straights. I talked about how I was able to rehabilitate them and then release them back into the wild. I then went on to talk about my unique childhood and how my father's job left a huge impact upon my life.


All in all I am very excited to have gotten as many interviews as I did. I opted to not apply to my In State school. Long story, but they really did not impress me in the least and personally they were downright rude when I talked with any of them not to mention the area was not to my liking at all. This is my own opinion however, so don't let it sway you! Also don't feel bad if you choose not to attend your IS school ;) I really liked LMU despite a lot of the misgivings I heard about it being a new school, but all schools are new at some point in time!
 
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23 y/o female Ohio resident
B.S. in Biology, Alderson Broaddus University, c/o 2014
2nd time applicant

Applied: Ohio State, Mississippi State, UC-Davis
Interviewed: Ohio State, Mississippi State
Accepted: Ohio State, Mississippi State
Attending: The Ohio State University!

Overall GPA: 3.61
Science GPA: 3.46
Last 45 credits: 3.82

GRE (Q/V/W): 158/153/4.0

Veterinary Experience:
-700 hours at two SA clinics
-10 hours shadowing a zoo vet

Research Experience:
-None

Animal Experience:
-300 hours as zoo intern

Non-Animal Employment:
-Hostess/server at pub
-Worked in distribution center one summer
-Work study while in undergrad
-TA for cell bio and genetics

Extracurriculars:
-4 year NCAA Div II student-athlete
-Fellowship of Christian Athletes
-Student Athlete Advisory Committee

Awards:
-Female Athlete of the Year
-President's List
-Silver Key Award
-Academic All-American Nominee
-Member of Honors Program
-Academic and Athletic scholarships

LORs:
-Two from SA vets I work for
-Undergrad adviser

Personal Statement:
Started with talking about the day I shadowed with the zoo vets and everything I witnessed that day. Transitioned into talking about my experience as an intern at a zoo and how that led to an interest in zoo medicine. Then talked about my experience at the SA clinic and how that gave me a realistic understanding of the profession. Finished with talking about how being a student athlete allowed me to develop communication and leadership skills.

Hopefully this helps someone out there. I'm proof you don't need thousands of hours of experience to be granted admission. Congrats to everyone who was accepted this cycle! Hooray for the class of 2019!!:claps:
 
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23 yr-old female, WI resident (after living/working in WI for 1.5 years after college…originally a MI resident), 1st time, non-traditional applicant.
And another example of someone who doesn’t have much vet/shadowing experience per se, but other factors that helped me get to this point.

Applied: UW-Madison, Michigan State (app withdrawn--I decided that even if I got in, realistically I wouldn't go since my long-term boyfriend is here in Madison)
Rejected: none
Accepted: UW-Madison :heckyeah:
Attending: UW-Madison :happy:

Undergrad: B.A. from Kalamazoo College
Major: Biology
Minor: Math
Concentration: Biophysics

Cumulative GPA: 3.87
Science GPA: 3.97
Last 30 GPA: 3.71

GRE: V – 160, Q - 154, A – 4.0 (GRE is not my favorite)

Vet experience:
SA clinic shadowing: 65
LA clinic shadowing: 24

Technically, I should have also classified some of my research animal experience here because I was performing surgeries (craniotomies, perfusions) and dissections under an MD/PhD and with approval/supervision of a vet, but I didn’t in my app. I think the admin committee reclassifies experiences as they see fit. It probably would have been around 800-1000 hours at the time.

Animal Experience:
146 hours volunteering at Humane Society and affiliated wildlife center
30 hours volunteering with Kalamazoo SPCA
1140 hours taking care of lab animals (weaning, ear-punching for genotyping, dissecting embryos, culturing, IHC, etc)

Research:
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Summer 2010 REU: 450 hours
· Title of project: Application of a Color and Size Selective Algorithm in Quantitative Neuropathological Assessment
· Presented Poster

Princeton University Summer 2011 REU: 450 hours
· Title of project: Characterization of learning in rats performing an auditory discrimination task: do rats have insight?
· Presented Poster

UCLA (Amgen Scholars Program Summer 2012, senior thesis work): 550 hours
· Title of project: Investigating network hyperexcitability in visual cortex of Fmr1 KO mice with in vivo two-photon calcium imaging (This is where I did lots of surgery--craniotomies to be specific--on our research subjects)
· Presented Poster, attended Amgen Scholar Conference

University of Wisconsin-Madison (current employment since July 2013) : thousands of hours
· Currently investigating the molecular timing involved in the process of chorioallantoic fusion. In this job I have had the opportunity to build lots of important skills that I think will be useful for vet school including dissections on mouse embryos for culturing, histology techniques, data analysis, etc.
· Also doing cloning projects for a transcription factor, Brachyury, involved in posterior axial development—hoping to publish soon!

Study Abroad:
Budapest Semester In Cognitive Science (6 months studying at Eotvos Lorand University)
Research Project: The Prefrontal Cortex and Speculation on its Modular Organization

Honors/Awards/Scholarships:
Honors in Biology Department
Departmental Student Advisor
Amgen Scholar
Clare Booth Luce Scholar
Kalamazoo College Winifred Peake Jones Prize in Biology
Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society
Dean’s Honor list (throughout college)
Kalamazoo College Trustee Scholarship
AT&T Foundation Scholarship

Leadership:
Leader of organization at college called Sisters in Science. As a leader and participant of this organization, I would mentor 5th and 6th grade female students in science, plan experiments for other mentors, budget, hold meetings, etc.

Employment:
Kalamazoo College Teaching Assistant for Cell & Molecular Biology course
Kalamazoo College Supplemental Instructor for Evolution and Genetics course

Extracurriculars:
Member of Ultimate Frisbee team in college (all four years)
Madison Ultimate Frisbee Association member (Spring/Summer 2014)
Belly Dancing for 8 weeks
Kalamazoo College Health Guild Participant
Kalamazoo College Sisters in Science Member and Leader (See above)

LOR:
PI (PhD) from University of Wisconsin-Madison
Professor and advisor (PhD) from college
Veterinarian from SA clinic at which I shadowed

Personal Statement: I talked about my deviation from vet med when I entered college and how I fell in love with research, but how my love for research ultimately led me back to vet med, specifically wanting to go into Lab animal medicine. I felt good about it when I wrote it, but looking back I think I could have made it a little better. After looking at others’ posts here on SDN I realize my “story” isn’t as unique as it seemed to me at the time. I think the most important thing is to clearly and concisely convey your goals and how your experiences/skills will help you achieve them.

I also didn’t put anything from High School on my app (even though I had tons of awards, extracurriculars and some shadowing/volunteer experience from that time) because I didn’t realize I could (until after I submitted…silly me). Nor did I put pet-ownership (which I’ve had my whole life, including 3 rats currently).
 
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23 year old male WI resident with a Biochemistry degree.

Applied
: Missouri, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Minnesota, K-State, Mississippi State (DVM/PhD program)
Interviewed: At all the schools above except for Minnesota (denied to interview)
Accepted: At all the schools above
Attending: Wisconsin most likely

Overall GPA
: 3.72
Science GPA: 3.83
Last 45 credits: 3.9-ish
GRE (Q/V/W): 155/154/5.0

Veterinary Experience:

Volunteer / shadow at small animal clinic (supervised by vet) - 160
Volunteer/ Shadow a large animal clinic – 50

Research Experience:
None :-/

Animal Experience:

Interned at the Wisconsin Humane Society Wildlife Department - 700
Worked on many local farms as a farm hand (dairy mostly) - 400
Animal ownership (family farm): cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, turkeys, horses, dogs, cats – 1000’s
Horse Training- 100

Non-Animal Employment:

Tutor in Math and Science- LOTS of hours as I tutor the following classes: Physiology, Endocrinology, Microbiology, intro to Zoology, Genetics, Organic Chem, Analytical Chem, Biochem, Statistics, and more
Salvation Army - 200
Seasonal Construction Worker (over summers) - LOTS

Extracurriculars / Etc:

QDMA (Quality Deer Management) member and activist
Ducks Unlimited
Rock climbing/ Running/ Cross Fit
Habitat for Humanity

LORs:

Professor who taught Physiology, Endocrinology, and Immunology (all classes that I have taken and now tutor)
Wildlife Rehabilitator for the Wisconsin Humane Society
Small Animal Veterinarian
Coordinator for Tutoring the in Math and Science Department(my boss)

Personal Statement:

I used my essay to highlight not the quantity but rather the quality of my cumulative experiences relating to veterinary school preparation and how these experiences will translate to me being the best veterinarian I can be.

Also, I made the argument that my experiences at the Wisconsin Humane Society- while not under the direct supervision of a veterinarian- could be listed as 'veterinary experience' as we used many contemporary veterinary medicine techniques as well as interfaced with veterinarians routinely in the care of our patients
 
As of today I have heard from all of my schools, so I thought I would go ahead and post this. I am posting to give low GPA applicants hope! As you can see, I am not the best applicant in terms of statistics. I do, however, have a lot of quality experience. I think my experience and my LORs were the strong parts of my application.

22 y/o male – Texas Resident – First time applicant - BS in Animal Science

Applied: Kansas State, Midwestern, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M
Interviewed: Kansas State, Midwestern (declined), Texas A&M
Rejected: Oklahoma State
Withdrawn: Midwestern
Accepted: Kansas State & Texas A&M
Attending: Texas A&M!!!

At the time of application:
Overall GPA: 3.34
Science GPA: 3.22
Last 45 hours GPA: 3.55

After fall semester (Texas A&M recalculates GPAs after receiving fall grades):
Overall: 3.40
Science: 3.28
Last 45 hour: 3.64

Also, it is important to note that Kansas calculates GPAs using the highest grade earned in a course. This is one of the reasons I applied there. After accounting for retakes, my science and overall GPA for Kansas was about a 3.7 or so.

I had 4 Cs, 3 Ds, and several Bs. Basically chemistry kicked my butt. I retook 4 classes (all chem courses) and wrote about it in my explanation statement. I took ownership for my grades, but also talked about how the experience helped me grow as a student and a person. I was asked about my retakes during my Kansas interview. My GPA suffered as a result from both the fact that I just struggled with chemistry in general and also because of how much I worked during undergrad. I had a full-time job the entire time and with 17-18 hour course loads each semester, it was difficult to maintain a perfect GPA. I think the admissions committee took this into consideration once reviewing both my veterinary experience and my LORs.

GRE (Q/V/W): 159/150/4.0

Veterinary Experience:
7,620 hours (paid) - Small animal experience working directly under four different veterinarians over the span of about 5 years. I have had a lot of hands on experiences at this clinic an am sure this was one of the strongest parts of my application.

Animal Experience:
576 hours (paid) – Small animal experience at previously mentioned clinic. I allocated hours that were worked with no veterinary supervision to this category.
550 hours (unpaid) – Time spent interacting with and treating a variety of different species including cows, pigs, horses, pocket pets, and reptiles. Many of these hours were classroom experience and volunteer hours.
I also listed pet ownership (maximum of 100 hours for A&M).

Research:
Nothing too impressive for this category. I included a total of 210 hours for three different research projects.

Non-Animal Employment:
1500 hours working for a grocery store – most of these were accumulated during high school

Extracurriculars/Awards:
1 year tutoring refugee children about 2-3 hours a week
Member of pre-vet club
Multiple scholarships
Multiple honor societies
Involvement on city league softball and soccer leagues

LORs:
3 small animal veterinarians I worked for (graduates of A&M, Kansas State, and Iowa State)
1 professor who was also my academic advisor
I definitely think my letters of recommendation were a strong point for my application. All of the vets I have worked for have been extremely supportive of me and my goals to become a veterinarian.

Personal Statement:
I basically expanded on all of my experiences. I think this gave the admissions committee a better idea of the quality of my hours as a veterinary technician. I also expanded on why exactly I want to be a veterinarian. Probably not the strongest personal statement, but it got the job done!
 
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I have heard from all of my schools, so I thought I would go ahead and post this. I am posting to give low GPA applicants hope! As you can see, I am not the best applicant in terms of statistics. I do, however, have a lot of quality experience. I think my experience and my LORs were the strong parts of my application.

Whoop! Love seeing people with less than average GPA's get in :) (that being said, congrats to the 4.0'ers who did their part as well)

Still so excited about being class of 2019!
 
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20 year old Texan
University of Texas undergrad
Major: Environmental Science
I've been accepted my Junior year so I won't be getting my B.S. but I wanted a DVM SO MUCH MORE.

Applied: Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Tenessee, Florida, NC State
Rejected: Tenessee, Florida, NC State
Interviewed: Texas A&M (Don't be afraid of the MMI! I loved it and felt it was very fair.)
Waitlisted: Oklahoma
Accepted: Texas A&M
Attending: Texas A&M :love:

Overall GPA: 3.83
Science GPA: 3.9
Last 45 credits: 3.75

(Texas A&M counts the Fall semester that you complete as part of the admissions process -after interviews, that is- and that REALLY pushed me into a good spot because I made a 4.0 that semester.)


GRE (Q/V/W): 152/166/4 (Yeah, the Quantitative section was sucky:poke:)

Veterinary Experience:
Veterinary technician at a rural mixed practice (my area of interest): 300 hours
Equine Specialty Hospital Shadowing: 20 hours
Parvovirus Intensive Care Unit Medical Volunteer at a Shelter : ~170 hours (ongoing)

Research Experience:
NONE

Animal Experience:
Pet Ownership (we have a farm so I worked with cows, goats, pigs, horses, etc.): 11,000 hours
Shelter Volunteering: ~100 hours
Pet-Sitting (chickens): 20 Hours

Non-Animal Employment:
University of Texas (I was a certified driver for field trips on multiple occassions and a cashier): Unknown but close to ~150 hours

Extracurriculars / Etc:
I actually didn't have a lot of these...I mentioned more of my hobbies like running and playing dominoes, and projects such as a Green Fee proposal and that was it. This is why Tenessee didn't want me, apparently. (or at least that's what their e-mail said)

LORs:
2 Practicing Veterinarians (Mixed Practice and Shelter)
1 Professor who created my degree program and knew me well

Personal Statement:
There was one point in my life where I was very sick for several years. I talked about this time and about how, before I got sick, I was concerned I wouldn't be able to have the perseverence to make it through vet school, and then how, after I got sick and handled that well, I knew I could make it through.

I also talked alot about the death that I dealt with in the Parvovirus ICU, how I handled that, and how seeing a dog go from lateral to nearly bouncing out of its kennel with excitement was worth all that I had to deal with. In addition, I talked about how veterinary medicine isn't just about animals, it's about people. I said that education was a huge part of the mixed practice that I was a part of, and that it was just as vital, if not more so, than the actual treatments carried out.
 
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Non-traditional student alert!

25 y/o female from IL
1st time applicant
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (UPenn)


Applied: Kansas, Wisconsin, Illinois
Interviews: Kansas
Accepted: Kansas
Attending: ????

*still waiting to hear back from Wisconsin (frustration nation!!!)


Overall GPA: horrendous (not even worth posting, I am not exaggerating bahaha)
Science GPA: ~3.6
Last 45 credits: ~3.9

GRE (Q/V/W): 162/166/4 <--- hahahaha

Veterinary Experience:
Volunteer/Shadow at small animal clinic
Volunteer ER department at mixed animal hospital

Research Experience:
Developed and ran my own experiment (degree requirement for my major)

Animal Experience:
Animal Ownership
Fostered dogs/cats
Worked at pet supply store (note: we did not sell pets, just pet supplies!)
Interned at zoo

Extracurrirulars:
Varsity team member and captain
Sorority member
Professional fraternity member
Volunteer at Ronald McDonald House
Involved in student run fashion magazine/fashion show

LORs:
2 Former coaches
1 Former manager (animal related)
1 Veterinarian (shadowed at clinic)
1 Professor (organic chemistry)

Personal Statement:

There is no right or wrong way of writing a personal statement. They are just that - personal. I do recommend getting this out of the way EARLY. I had written many, MANY drafts and varieties of my personal statement. Ultimately, what worked best for me was to intertwine most of my experiences with animals (and my desire to enter the profession) with a lot of the personal qualities and stories that distinguished me from most other applicants (i.e. 1st gen college students, foreign etc.). Sorry this is so vague :/

I went through some personal loses and hardships my first two years of college (and my grades definitely reflected that). After graduating, I began a post-baccalaureate program at Northwestern and then had to transfer back to Penn (note: semester vs. quarter credits DO NOT TRANSFER WELL). As many of you have mentioned, there are ways of making up for discrepancies in your application. You are only human and everyone is allowed a screw up every now and then. I knew my GPA was less then spectacular, so I studied my buns off and did well on my GREs (lolz except for the writing portion). Don't lose hope! If veterinary medicine is your calling, you'll get there!
 
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I am proof that having a high GPA doesn't necessarily mean an acceptance!!

21 yr old female WI resident, 1st time applicant.
Biology major, animal science and chemistry minors.

Applied: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa State, Oklahoma State
Rejected: Wisconsin, Iowa State
Interviewed: Minnesota
Wait-listed: Oklahoma State
Accepted: Minnesota
Attending: Minnesota (most likely)

Overall GPA: 3.93(VMCAS) 3.96 at my college
Science GPA: 4.00
Last 45 credits: 4.00

GRE (Q/V/W): 157/153/3.5 (This was definitely bad.. Looking back now, I should have retaken it. I was horribly sick that day but didn't want to pay the money to take it again.)

Veterinary Experience:
Volunteer/shadowing at 4 different SA clinics. ~ 275 (I also had an internship at one of these clinics which I added the hours in here)
Volunteer/shadowing LA vets ~ 70
Volunteer/shadowing zoo vet ~ 40


Research Experience:
I really didn't have any "true" research experience but I did work on a research project during my internship about the physiology and pathology of heartworm disease in dogs. I talked about that on my VMCAS.
(Looking back, this is another area I wish I would have focused on to make me a better applicant.)

Animal Experience:
Pet ownership, 3 dogs, I trained them all ~ 500 (I wasn't sure if I should put this in or not since pet ownership is debatable here)
APVMA symposium acupuncture lab ~ 3
Checking in cattle at local fair ~ 3
In charge of "petting zoo" we had at our local dairy breakfast ~ 9
(Not the best)

Non-Animal Employment:
Local truck stop ~ 400
Local dairy treat ~ 2230
Hollister, Co. ~960

Extracurriculars / Awards:
Student vice president of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
APVMA symposium
Lab assistant for zoology course
FFA (HS)
Math league (HS)
Volleyball (HS)
Pre-vet club
Volunteer at nursing home
Dean's list every semester
Pre-vet scholarship
2 other scholarships


LORs:
-2 different SA vets I worked with
-LA vet I worked with
-Professor that I lab assisted for and created a close relationship

Personal Statement:
I described how my love of medicine and learning started (my mother is a RN) and how that shaped me. I then went on to talk about different experiences I have had in my life that made me more passionate about the veterinary medical field. I summed it up by saying what qualities I possessed that would make me a good veterinarian and what my future plans as a veterinarian was.
(My personal statement was pretty standard and I don't think it made me stand out as much as I had hoped.)

Not too fancy of an application, so there is hope for those of you who are worried! :) Hopefully this helps someone in the future! :) I am just happy to have gotten into at least one vet school!
 
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Greetings Future Vets
I'm a 24 y/o female – Puerto Rico Resident – First time applicant - BS in Animal Science and Pre Veterinary. All of my schools are OOS since PR doesn't have one. I waited a year to gather more experience and have proven that GRE/Grades aren't everything. So here are my stats....

Applied: Ross University, Virginia Maryland, Wisconsin, Penn, Purdue
Interviewed: Ross University (declined), Virginia Maryland
Rejected: Wisconsin, Purdue
Withdrawn: Ross University
Accepted: Virginia Maryland Regional Vet College
Attending: VMRVC!!!!!!

At the time of application:
Overall GPA: 3.54
Science GPA: 3.37
Last 45 hours GPA: 3.70
Graduated May 2014 with Magna Cum Laude Honors

Problems with classes included C's in Chemistry II, Organic Chemistry I, PreCalculus I and II, Calculus I. I had a total of 3 D's repeated where I obtained both B and A and this were: Chemistry I, Physics . I also had around 4 W's in some of the previous classes and elective courses from programming. In the explanation segment, I explained the fact of my grades due to financial problems and working long hours to makes ends meet.
I had 2 part-time jobs the entire time and with 17-18 hour course loads each semester, it was difficult to maintain good GPA. I think the admissions committees took this into consideration once reviewing my veterinary and research experience and LORs.

GRE (Q/V/W): 149/153/3.5

Veterinary Experience:
800 hours - USDA Internship with Animal and Plant inspection services, Michigan State Vetward Bound Program, Shadowing at the MSU VTH during study abroad and research. During the year, I shadowed Vet Clinics and Specialty hospitals

Animal Experience:
500 hours- Classroom experience, farm and animal ownership and involvement in agricultural fairs for the university. During the year off, I volunteered in a rescue animal shelter

Research:
800 hours - Had a total of 3 big research project involving genetics, engineering, cardiology and bioinformatics. The cardiology research was extended from a summer to a semester in MSU (Study abroad) and this one was under a Veterinarian/ PhD faculty member.

* I had a total of 4 internships that helped me gather this experiences, here is more detail about them:
1. http://cvm.msu.edu/student-information/cvm-undergraduate-programs/enrichment-summer-program
2. USDA APHIS: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/porta.../aphis_content_library/sa_careers/sa_students
3. http://bpnp.msu.edu/en/overview.html (This one was one summer and a fall semester)


Non-Animal Employment:
1600 hours- Working under the Federal work and Study Program, Tutoring and Hospitality.

Extracurriculars/Awards:
3 years involved in student organizations that promoted the study of Science technology Engineering and Math for young students in PR and the states.
Member of pre-vet club
Scholarships ( One was the Study Abroad Fully paid to MSU)
Member of Professional Latina Sorority
Awarded travel and Registration for SACNAS and HENAAC Conferences
President of IEEE- Women in Engineering Society and Coordinator of Professional recruitment events for STEM students in campus.
National Swimmer
Co-founder of the IEEE Engineering and Biology Society in campus to integrate life sciences and technology.


LORs:
1 small animal veterinarian I worked for research
2 professors who was also my academic advisors and gave me a prerequisite course.
the coordinator of the BPNP program (Study abroad MSU)
Academic Advisor for the IEEE Women In Engineering

I'm pretty sure that the letters were a strong point for my application.

Personal Statement:
Went in a timeline mode dividing veterinary from research experience and ended with a little about myself. Feel free to PM if you would like to read my personal statement to have an idea. :)


:);):clap::soexcited::claps::prof::highfive:

For those reading this don't give up, like before posted, we are examples that high GPA's aren't important or a standardized test. I gave it my all in the end and was rewarded. You can do it to!
 
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So I’m posting my info to hopefully help someone else out. I know I didn’t look at any of this till after I applied, but I do feel like I have some advice to give for those who need it!
21 year old female, Pennsylvania Resident, first time applicant

Applied: Ohio State, Florida, UPenn, Cornell
Rejected: Florida, UPenn, Cornell (I expected to receive a rejection, but I honestly was surprised to get rejected by all three—technically I have not heard from UPenn at all yet, but they are done with interviews)
Interviews: Ohio State
Accepted: Ohio State!
Attending: Ohio State! (I got lucky that the only place I got accepted was my first choice!)

Overall GPA: 3.90
Science GPA: 3.85 (Everything was an A except Physics)

GRE (Q/V/W): 152 (48th percentile)/152 (54th percentile)/4.5 (80th percentile)
Looking back, a huge part of my rejections were my GRE scores. I knew when I took them they were bad, and I know we have to jump through hoops with this application process, but I am stubborn and do not believe my scores on a standardized examination are reflective of my actual ability. I stand firmly by this, but if I had been rejected from all my schools I may have reconsidered. So, pay careful attention to how your school of interest weighs things and why. If that school means enough to you, jump through their hoops. If you do not see the value in what that school wants, try finding a better fit.

Veterinary Experience:
Shadowing a local, low resource clinic once a day for a semesterà 40 hours
Shadowing at a local mixed practice for a semester à 60 hours
Intern/Veterinary Assistant at a small animal practice -à 400 + hours (really hands on experience)
Shadowing at an 24 hour emergency facility à 30 hours
Shadowing at an equine clinic à 30 hours
Study abroad vet experience (including working with farm animals –palpating, vaccines, etc.--, sea turtles –research techniques, physical examinations, parasite removal, etc.--, working with a veterinarian at a wildlife rehabilitation center –practicing necropsies, suturing, and injections, etc.--, and working on a spay and neuter project) à About 150 hours

Research Experience:
My own senior research thesis— The effect of human interaction on the stress levels of shelter dogs measured via behavioral analysis and salivary cortisol concentrationsà 300 hours

Animal Experience:
General Animal Care Intern at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (working with dogs, cats, rabbits, parrots, horses, goats, pigs, and wildlife) à 250+ hours
Wildlife Rehabilitation Volunteer à 400+ hours
Local shelter volunteering (at two different shelters) à 500+ hours
Care of animals in the animal care facility at college (frogs, mice, rats) à About 50 hours
Animal ownership (I felt weird putting this on my application even though it’s recommended to include. I included this under the normal Animal ownership category and listed the types of animals I have cared for as pets –dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, a goat, horses, a turtle, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, and ducks—and also in the category of Animal Ownership-training (my dogs mostly and one was a therapy dog) à 10,000 + hours (unquantifiable really)


Non-Animal Employment:
General Biology TA à 2 semesters
Comparative Anatomy TA à 1 semester
Mammalian Physiology TA à 1 semester
Biology Writing Designated Tutor à 2 semesters
Biology Collaborative Learning Facilitator (I ran class activates and review sessions twice a week for first year biology students) à 4 semesters
Biology Lab Assistant à 6 semesters
Maurices (retail clothing shop) à 6 months
Movie Theatre employee à 5 years
Gas Station Employee à 2 years


Extracurriculars / Etc:
Member of Tri Beta Biological Honor Society
Member of Alpha Chi Honor Society
Bird Watching
Historian of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society
Member of Best Buddies
Equestrian Club
VP of Environmental Awareness Club
Chemistry Club
Track and Field (high school)
National Honor Society (high school)
Soccer (high school)
Spanish Club (high school)
Water Sports/Activities
Open Water PADI Certified
Avid Traveler
Ski Club


LORs:
1. My research advisory and professor that I had for General Biology, Wildlife, Conservation, and Ornithology, and I was also the collaborative learning facilitator for his Gen. Bio class for two years
2. Another professor who I had for Gen Bio Lab and Comparative Anatomy and TA’s for his Gen Bio and Comparative Anatomy labs
3. The veterinarian that I interned with and spent the most time with
4. Academic leader from my study abroad trip
5. Intern Coordinator from Best Friends Animal Sanctuary


Personal Statement:
I thought my personal statement was very well written. Overall, my personal statement was an honest representation about how my interest in veterinary medicine was always prevalent, but grew as my education progressed and I better understood the immense meaning and responsibility behind it all.



Overall, my advice is just to try to apply at schools where you think you will be competitive. I made the mistake of applying to three schools that weighed the GRE pretty high and since that was my weakness received three rejections before getting my acceptance from Ohio State (which was very scary!).
Also, while looking at these stats of others can help to reassure you, they can also be a great burden. Don’t spend time trying to compare yourself to others. Every school is a little bit different, and if you are really set on veterinary medicine it will work out (even for those who have to reapply!).
 
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21 yr old female WA resident, 1st time applicant, BS in Animal Science from Cornell

Applied: WSU, UC Davis, Wisconsin, Glasgow, Edinburgh
Interviewed: WSU, UC Davis (off waitlist), Glasgow (declined), Edinburgh (declined)
Waitlisted: Wisconsin
Accepted: UC Davis, WSU
Attending: WSU

Overall GPA: 3.81
Science GPA: 3.73
Last 45 credits: 3.75-ish?

GRE (Q/V/W): 161/163/4.5

Veterinary Experience:
Shadowing at small animal clinic - 40
Veterinary Assistant at 2 small animal clinics -900
Volunteer at humane society spay days -12

Research Experience:
Bovine Genetics lab, PCR, DNA extraction -138
Loon Vocalization research lab - 30

Animal Experience:
Wildlife Care Assistant Volunteer -55
Equitation TA - 36
Block and Bridle and classroom/teaching barn experience -60
Kennel Attendant - 708
Cat adoption counselor - 130
Pet Sitting -200
Dog Owner

Non-Animal Employment:
Restaurant summer job -300
Data Entry -70

Extracurriculars / Etc:
Held a position in my sorority, played intramural sports
Clubs: Pre-vet society, Block and Bridle, and Guiding eyes for the Blind (mostly freshman year)
Dean's list every semester
Some Animal Science Awards in my second and third year

LORs:
2- vets I had worked with
1- academic advisor
1- professor

Personal Statement:
Wrote about my experiences in vet clinics, what aspects made me want to become a vet, and specialties I was considering
 
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