I've been waiting so long to post here, but I'm really excited because I've finally heard back from every school!!
21 year old female, Connecticut resident, 1st time applicant
Applied: Tufts, Penn, Cornell, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Missouri
Interviews: Penn, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Tufts, (declined Minnesota)
Rejected: None
Waitlisted: Cornell
Accepted: Michigan, Penn, Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, Tufts
Attending: Undecided, but most likely
Penn
(My GPAs were higher after fall semester, but not every school updated them, so I’ll post both.)
Overall GPA: 3.78/3.81
Science GPA: 3.60 to 3.75 depending on the school
Last 45: 3.83/3.89
GRE (Q/V/W): 159/157/5.5 (75%, 75%, 98%)
Degree: Northeastern University BS in Biology, minor in Psychology, class of 2016
Veterinary Experience:
Small animal clinic veterinary technician: 1000 hours
Surgical veterinary assistant at 24 hour ER/referral hospital: 1000 hours
Internship at the aquarium (veterinarian supervised): 500 hours
Shadowed a large animal veterinarian: 10 hours
Cornell Summer College, Tufts AVM, SGU Med/Vet (high school programs): 200 hours total
Shadowed 2 different vets in high school: 50 hours
Animal Experience:
Doggie Daycare Handler: 300 hours
Therapeutic riding center volunteer (equine): 32 hours
Bronx Zoo teen internship/petting zoo volunteer (high school): 90 hours
Research Experience:
Research at an avian cognition laboratory, worked with African Grey parrots: 300 hours
Non-Vet Employment:
Math tutor at the Boys & Girls Club for 2 semesters: 60 hours
Extracurricular Activities/Awards:
Pre-Veterinary Club President
Choral Society and Chamber Singers, on a music scholarship, had multiple solos
Dual enrolled in a non-degree program at New England Conservatory where I take private voice lessons
(Every interviewer mentioned my music background!)
LORs:
2 small animal clinic veterinarians
Veterinarian from the aquarium (director of animal health)
My PI from the avian laboratory
Animal behavior professor (did not really know me, but I got an A)
Cornell only: My manager, an LVT, from the hospital where I worked in surgery
Tufts only: Biochemistry professor (again did not know me, but I got an A)
Personal Statement:
Pretty typical: I went through each major experience (vet tech-ing, aquarium, research) and explained how each of them showed me why I wanted to be a veterinarian. I told a funny story about how one of the parrots from the lab would throw nuts at my face when he was mad, and I think that helped make it memorable (a lot of my interviewers brought it up!)