Successful Applicant Stats of 2017

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NOTE: Never thought I'd be posting in here! I spend months and months going through successful applicant stats and comparing myself to them, only to find my GPA was severely lacking and my experience wasn't very diverse. But it's possible!!! I'm not that great, but I did it!!! :thumbup:

It sounds like you worked hard for this, and you definitely deserve your acceptance. Congrats! :thumbup:

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NJ Resident, early 30's career changer.
Applied: Cornell, Penn, Iowa, Glasgow, Ohio, Purdue, WSU, Kansas, Michigan, COlorado
Accepted ( and Interviewed where applicable): Penn, Iowa, Kansas, Purdue, Michigan, Colorado, Glasgow,Ohio
Rejected: COrnell and WSU
Attending: OHIO!!! Buckeye to be!

BS Communication technology Management minor Marketing (international degree)
10+ years in corporate Human resources management ( management/executive)
Post Bacc program from 2009 to spring 2013 ( part time as I worked full time most of the time to save money)
GPA; 3.98 Last 45; 4.0
GRE: 60-70%

This was an uphill battle for someone who had to go back to school and start all over again after more than a decade. I also did not get my first degree in the US as I grew up in a different country. So I was very insecure about my chances . However, I kicked ass when i wen to complete my pre-vet courses. Guess I needed to mature. It was very hard BUt hey doable and you change as a person as you go through it. Volunteered in local and international animal welfare groups, local shelter. PT vet assistant in animal hospital. Worked in mice research lab at school and shadowed a comparative anatomist.

LOR
vet/ president of volunteer group
COmparative anatomist researcher and documentary host
two professors
two employers in my HR career

I had to look for experience and variety to accumulate substantial hours. It was not easy but its doable if you persist. I felt a fish out of water but you will learn if its really something you want to do. the harder it is, the better you feel., the more you persevere, then it is for you. I decided to do this after my tragic divorce and I vowed to build myself up by becoming better than I ever was. I have to say now, in hindsight, the worse experience in my life is probably the best kick in the ass that I needed!! :p
 
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Good Luck to everyone, I know reviewing stats really helped me when I applied this year

First time applicant, 23 year old female, California State Resident
B.S. Biological Sciences University of California, Irvine Spring 2012

Applied:
UC Davis, Kansas State University, University of Tennessee, Iowa State University, Royal Dick School of Veterinary Medicine, Royal Veterinary College, University of Pennsylvania

Interviewed:
Kansas State University, Iowa State University, Invited to Tennessee but declined

Wait listed:
Iowa State University

Accepted:
Royal Dick School of Veterinary Medicine, Royal Veterinary College, Kansas State University, finally Iowa State University


Attending:
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE!!!:D


Overall GPA: 3.449
Science GPA 3.23
Last 45 Credits GPA 3.60

GRE:
verbal: 159 80th percentile
quantitative: 157 71 percentile
writing: 4 49 percentile


Veterinary Experience:
Animal Shelter Clinic: 273 hours
Small Animal Hospital: 398 at the time of application-now over 1000
Urology Department Research with pigs: 297 hours
Spay and Neuter Center: 88 hours
ACRES Audubon Nature Institute with research cats and exotic cats 480 hours
total of : 1536 at time of application

Animal Experience
Dog wash attendant 896 hours
Dog volunteer at the animal shelter: 150 hours

Employment
Dog wash, Disability services center, pet product manufacturer, office assistant, cook, summer camp teacher, veterinary hospital

Extracurricular Activities
triathlon club
study abroad for 9 months
Society of Pre-veterinary student
Photography
Stage manager
Theater conservatory member

Honors, Awards and Leadership
Dean's Honor List for 4 semesters
Travel Award Scholarship
AP scholar
Upper-division Writing Award at UCI
President of the Society of Pre-Veterinary Students

Evaluations
Medical Director of a Spay and Neuter Program
Chair of the Department of Urology
Lecturer
Chair of the Department of Ecology
Medical Director of an Animal Hospital


Personal Statement:
I kept it light hearted, starting off with my experience working at the dog wash and then transitioning into what made me want to become a vet, a couple of anecdotes about my clinical experiences and then what I would want to do with my career.
 
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I'm so excited to be posting here! I have lurked off/on for years on this forum, and reading through this thread year after year has helped me a lot and given me hope for my own (mediocre) application after everyone told me I wouldn't get in, especially with no large animal experience. So, thanks everyone, and I'm so excited to be joining some of you in the fall!

Also, this may give away my anonymity to some of you, but it's worth it if someone else can benefit from it. :oops:

Female, 23 years old, MA Resident
Traditional student (took a year off to work), 1st time applicant

Applied: Tufts (IS), Minnesota, Illinois, Oklahoma State, Florida, Ohio State
Rejected without interview: Oklahoma State, Florida (after not being called off interview waitlist), Ohio State
Interviewed: Tufts, Minnesota, Illinois
Waitlisted: Tufts, Minnesota (originally OOS #15), Illinois
Accepted: Tufts, Minnesota, Illinois
Attending: Tufts!

BA in Biology, Cum Laude
Cumulative GPA: 3.48 at time of application (3.5 after completion of Animal Science and Animal Nutrition in the fall through the OK State's correspondence courses)
Science GPA: 3.1-3.3 depending on what's counted
Last 45 GPA: ~3.78

GRE (took before the revision)
Attempt #1: Verbal: 610/160/83%; Quant: 570/147/40%; Analytical: 4.5/67%
Attempt #2 (17 days later): Verbal: 580/158/82%; Quant: 690/154/68%; Analytical: 4.5/67%

Veterinary Experience
~650 hours veterinary technician at small animal hospital (~1800 hours now--this is my full-time job)
~850 hours volunteer in aquarium medical center (900 hours now)
211 hours volunteer/shadow at different small animal/exotics hospital

Animal Experience
~500 hours kennel attendant at small animal/exotics hospital (531 hours now)
101 hours keeper aide volunteer at a zoo
31 hours pet-sitting
11 hours marine mammal stranding response volunteer

Employment
Senior office assistant/production assistant/box office manager for dance theater
Research assistant in two labs (forest biogeochemistry and conservation biology), including assisting with editing a textbook
Kennel attendant/vet tech work listed above

Extracurricular Activities
Dance group (competitive dancer in high school)
Pre-vet society
Yoga
Scuba diving
Colleges Against Cancer/Relay for Life
American Red Cross volunteer
Hospital volunteer (back in the day when I was pre-med :laugh: )
Volleyball
Camping/hiking

Honors, Awards and Leadership
Dean's List for 4 semesters
Sigma Alpha Lambda
Various scholarships/grants
TA for introductory bio lab and two semesters of vertebrate zoology

Evaluations
Head vet at aquarium
Vet at small animal/exotics hospital
Zoology/animal behavior professor (I was a TA for one of his classes)
Conservation biology professor/PI


I also am volunteering now as a goat tender (husbandry) and taking horseback riding lessons to learn more about/be more comfortable around large/farm animals. I was planning on emailing Tufts and my other two schools about these things on the day I was accepted to Tufts. :love:

Also, DO FILE REVIEWS. I had them for all my schools except OK State, and I got a lot of great feedback. They really want to help you!
 
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This is particularly for anyone who has had to go through college, struggling with physical and mental disabilities. I know what it's like to have your cognitive abilities diminish as a result of health. I'm not going to lie - it sucks. And a lot of schools only take that into consideration as much as they can because of the number of applicants. I felt helpless and wanted to give up, give in to my disability and let my dreams go. But I have such a passion for working with animals, that I would feel selfish if I just gave that up. Believe in yourself, keep working hard, and stay strong...
I hope this gives hope to prospective low GPAers.I am so thankful to be posting on here. I was preparing myself for having to apply again next year, so being able to post on this forum this year is unbelievable! I still haven't processed it, as I received my final acceptance call only this morning!

Female, 21 years old, NY Resident
Trad student, 1st time applicant

Applied: Cornell (IS), Penn (my dream school), AVC at UPEI, Ross, SGU, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Oregon, Tufts, Wisconsin, RVC, Edinburgh, Colorado, UC Davis (NB: for both Colorado and UC Davis, they require 3 PPIs. One of my evaluators did NOT send in her PPI on time, so for Colorado my application was "Incomplete." UC Davis did not mention my application being incomplete as a reason for rejection, but maybe it was. What I'm saying is, choose your evaluators carefully!!)

Rejected without interview: Cornell (IS), Penn, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Oregon, Tufts, Wisconsin, RVC, Edinburgh, Colorado, UC Davis

Interviewed: AVC, Ross, SGU
Waitlisted: AVC
Accepted: Ross, SGU (Vet Foundation Program), AVC
Attending: AVC!!!!!!!!!!!! :love: :love:
(I was told that AVC considers GRE more than many of the US schools I applied to, and my GRE score, though not spectacular, is above average, so for any low GPAers, apply to AVC if you can and if you have descent GRE scores!).

BA in Biology
Cumulative GPA: 3.02 at time of application
Science GPA: 2.7 (e.g.: Iowa) - 3.1
Last 45 GPA: 3.2

GRE
Quant: 161/83%
Verbal: 158/77%
Writing: (not so great) 4/49%

Veterinary Experience
~1,200 hours (and continuing) SA clinic (I made great relationships with all employees here. Make sure to enjoy where you work so you can network, and also look forward to going to work each week).
80 hours dairy farm

Animal Experience
300 hours SA shelter/cat-sitting
104 hours nature center with farm animals

Employment
Vet Assistant/Manager's assistant in office at SA clinic above

Research
180 hours Epilepsy Research Study (very focused on psychology/statistics)
~300 hours performing qPCR on Kenyan soils, quantifying microbes that control the N cycle (for my senior thesis)

Extracurricular Activities
Founder of a club at school that fundraises for animal shelters/sanctuaries
Choir
Volunteer for an epilepsy charity
I mentioned that I did ballet and acting for years and am professional trained, though I stopped acting in high school and take very few hours of ballet still


Evaluations
Professor who was my mentor for my senior thesis
3 vets at the SA clinic
manager at SA clinic
manager at nature center
 
Congratulations, MaiT! You worked super hard for it and I'm so happy you are attending vet school this year :) Good luck @ AVC!
 
I know that reviewing these stats over the years has helped me a lot through the whole application process. I am hoping to give a little hope to those with a lower GRE and average GPA! Congrats to all of those going on to vet school, and good luck to all wait listers and new applicants next year! :luck: So, here are my stats:

Female, 23 years old, Ohio Resident, 1st time applicant

Applied: Ohio State, Tennessee, Georgia, Ross, St. George’s
Rejected: Georgia (doesn’t interview), Ohio State (after interview)
Interviewed: Ohio State, Tennessee, Ross, St. George’s
Wait Listed: Tennessee (doesn’t give rank, but I am near the top of the OOS list), St. George’s August 2013 Term
Applications Withdrawn: Ross
Accepted: St. George’s January 2014!! :love: :soexcited:

BS in Biology
Cumulative GPA: 3.5
Science GPA: probably ~3.1-3.3


GRE
Took it 7 (yes, seven times)!
Best score: Q-620 (49%), V-370 (26%), AW-4.0 (48%)


Veterinary Experience (at time of VMCAS application)
~5,000 hours veterinary assistant at small animal hospital
~5 hours equine

Animal Experience
~1,000 hours animal shelter volunteer
~4,000 hours pet sitting
~100 hours barn work
~ 5 hours shadowing a zoo keeper



Extracurricular Activities
Pre-Vet Club
Students Making a Difference
Hospice Volunteer
Mortar Board (senior honor society)
Student Ambassador (traveled/studied abroad on multiple occasions)
(I also listed some high school activities)


Honors, Awards and Additional Education
Dean's List (several semester)
Graduated cum laude
Global Health Certificate from USAID
Several scholarships/grants
Several running awards


LOR Writers
3 Small animal vets I have worked with over the years
College biology professor
 
Good luck to everyone who is applying for the class of 2018! I remember last year at this time reading through this thread gave me a lot of hope.

Female, 22 years old, PA resident, 1st time applicant

Applied: Ohio State, U Penn, Cornell, VMRCVM, NC State, Kansas, Missouri, Purdue
Interviewed: Ohio State, U Penn, Purdue, Missouri, Kansas (declined)
Rejected: VMRCVM, NC State, Cornell (later accepted)
Waitlisted: U Penn
Accepted: Ohio State, Purdue, Missouri, Cornell (After originally being rejected)
ATTENDING: The Ohio State :)

** Quick note on Cornell- I never thought I really had a chance at Cornell because of my GRE scores. I was originally rejected, not waitlisted. However, I received a call late April/early May stating that they had gone through the waitlist and they were offering me a position (I guess I was at the top of the rejection list) My point- ANYTHING can happen in the application process, so DON'T give up hope!

Graduated from a small, private, agricultural school
B.S. in Animal Science with a minor in Biology
Summa Cum Laude
GPA:
Cumulative GPA: 3.994
Science GPA: 4.00
Last 45: 4.00

GRE

1st Time: 152 V, 152 Q, 4.5 AW
2nd Time: (even worse) 152 V, 151 Q, 4.5 AW
3rd Time: 158 V, 154 Q, 4 AW (Don't give up on your GRE!!)

Veterinary Experience
150 Equine
1,200 Small Animal
70 Exotic ( Exotic practice and zoo)
5 Large Animal
200 Navel Ill Research with Ph.D

Animal Experience:
Equine: 8,000+
Equine Reproduction:300 (Equine Science major at school with breeding facility)
Small Animal (pet sitting, dog walking): 500
A.I. Course with Bovine: 15 hours
Fistulated cow- 3 hours

Activities:
4-H (8-18 years old)- President for 3 years
Horseback riding lessons
Horse Camp Counselor
Stable Hand
National Honor Society Member- HS (4 years)
Positive Awareness for Wildlife and Zoos member (1 year)
Animal Science Society Member (1 year)
Pre-Vet club member (1 year)
Delta Tau Alpha Honor Society (2 years)
T.A. Anat. and Phys. (Undergrad Level)


Honors:

Presidential Scholarship
Deans List- every semester
Bristol-Myers Squibb Research Scholarship- my research on navel ill
Glick Liberal Arts Scholarship
Chemistry Award, Environmental Science Award- HS

eLORS
Physics Prof
Anat. and Phys. Prof
Research project mentor
3 veterinarians I worked with (2 SA and 1 mixed/exotic)

Personal Statement
Began with a foal watching anecdote, which I referenced again in the conclusion. I just told my personal story about how I have grown from a kid who loved riding horses into someone who loves medicine and the veterinary profession.
 
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Congrats 2017ers!!! Hard to believe that we will be starting school in just a couple months!!!
 
Congrats 2017ers!!! Hard to believe that we will be starting school in just a couple months!!!

I am super excited for everyone!!! :cool::D:thumbup: Almost there!!! I have 14 weeks till I start school... it cant come soon enough!
 
I'm sure no one is reading this thread anymore as it's so late in the application cycle but I've been waiting a long time to post on here, so...This has been a very long and at times, heartbreaking journey for me, but I can FINALLY say I've been ACCEPTED!!!

Female, 28 Florida resident
Nontraditional, 3rd time applicant

1st Cycle: C/O 2015

Applied: UF, VMRCVM
Interviewed: UF
Rejected: both

2nd Cycle: C/O 2016

Applied: UF, UT
Interviewed: UF
Rejected: both

3rd Cycle: C/O 2017
Applied: UF, MSU (Mississippi), UMN, Ross
Interviewed: MSU, Ross
Waitlisted: MSU
Accepted: Ross

Attending: Ross University SVM!!

CUM GPA: 3.42
Science: 3.5
Last 45th: 3.5
GRE (taken 5 times!!!): V: 156 Q: 153 A: 4.0 ~ Equivalent: 1200

eLORS:
Director of the wildlife hospital where I worked for 7 years
Vet/Owner of animal clinic where I currently work
2 other vets at animal clinic where I currently work
President of the board of directors of the wildlife hospital where I worked
(I had no academic eLORS as I had been out of school for so long and had moved away from the state where I attended college)

Veterinary Experience:
4000+ hours Veterinary Technician at small animal clinic
100+ hours assisting volunteer vets with wildlife medicine
20 hours large animal medicine

Animal Experience:
4000+ hours wildlife rehabilitator at a wildlife hospital
500+ hours wildlife hospital intern and volunteer
600+ hours assisting local shelters and fostering and placing cats
600+ hours riding dressage
50 hours zoo/wildlife, Virginia Living Museum volunteer

Employment:
2009-present veterinary technician @ a small animal clinic
2005-2012 wildlife hospital rehabilitator
2007-2011 substitute teacher
2005-2007 resident assistant at my college
2004-2007 front desk coordinator at a residence hall at my college
various other high school jobs (i.e. babysitting, waitressing, lifeguard, etc.)

Extracurricular Activities:
Piano
Reading
Photography
Bird Watching
Boating
Lobster Diving
Fishing


I just wanted to say that Ross was never my first choice for vet school but they are giving me the chance that no one else would and I'm so thankful to them for that. I actually applied there after I found out that I was at the bottom of the waitlist at Mississippi, which at that time, was my last hope. To anyone else that may be in the same situation as me: if you want this bad enough, make it happen for yourself.
 
Congratulations wildlifevet7. It sounds like you've been through quite the journey, but I'm so glad to see someone is giving you the opportunity to achieve the career you want! Good luck at Ross!
 
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congratulations wildlifevet!!! :) how fantastic for you, and yes i still stalk this thread for motivation :D
 
Oh boy! Here it goes. I've been procrastinating putting this up. My pre reqs are all in % because that's what (as an Atlantic resident) AVC looks at.

NB resident, 3rd time applicant (29 y/o)

Applied: 2010, 2011 & 2012 AVC
Rejected: 2010
Interviewed: 2011 & 2012
Waitlisted: 2011
Accepted: AVC 2012/13! (and obviously I'm attending :D)

Pre Req Avg: 77% (2010), 80.1% (2011), 81.3% (2012)
Biology Avg: 79.5% (2010), 78% (2011), 78% (2012 - yes, "upgrading" had resulted in achieving a lower Genetics mark)

GRE (Quant,Verbal,Writing):
1st - 143, 146, 4.0 (32% average)
2nd - 146, 151, 3.5 (36 % average)
3rd - 150, 151, 4.5 (78% average)

Animal Experience:
250+ hours Fostered dogs
400 hours Milker at dairy farm
500+ hours Horse ownership

Vet Experience:
Employment
560 hours SA Clinic
1260 hours Embryo Transfer Tech in Dairy

Volunteer
100 hours LA Clinic
140 hours SA Clinic
40 hours SA Clinic
50 hours Wildlife Rehab
250 hours Research (with rats)

Employment:
600 hours Project Coordinator
2700 hours Lab Rat (Federal Gov't)
800 hours Lab Rat (Private Co.)
680 hours Lab Rat (Research @ university)
160 hours Student Security

Community Volunteer:
60 hours Cancer Society
10 hours MADD Canada
30 hours Research Trial
12 hours Science Fair Judge

Hobbies:
42 hours Downhill Mountain Biking

There you have it! One thing I really made sure of is to not apply with the same application. What I mean by that is, after I got rejected the first time I got my butt out there and tried to improve every part of my application. When I got waitlisted the second year, I tried even harder to make my application even better because I knew I was working against a lower pre req average.
 
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This is so weird! I have been looking at these threads for the past 3 years and never imagined I would actually be posting in one of them :eek:

I'm a NB, Canada francophone resident who did 2 years of Pre-vet at NSAC. I literally gave everything up in my life to achieve the grades that I needed to get in. I was at a disadvantage because of my primary language but I felt that my chances were higher at AVC than U de Montreal. I just wanted to post on here to show other people that it is possible to succeed in your second language even if it is extremely challenging at first!!! :)

NB resident, 1st time applicant. 21 years old.

Applied: 2013 AVC
Interviewed: 2013
Accepted: AVC 2013

Pre Req Avg: 91%
Biology Avg: 96%

GRE :
V:151, Q:168, W:4.0

Animal Experience:
700+ hours working at animal shelter
300+ hours milking on dairy farm
10 hours volunteering at mink research centre
2000+ hours horse care and training

Vet Experience:
55 hours LA shadowing
70 hours SA shadowing
(I am proof that vet hours are not the most important!! They are looking for diversity :) )

Employment:
700 hours at Subway
200 hours Equestrian summer camp coordinator

Community Volunteer:
International Culture Club
Science Fairs
30 hour Famine
President of Photography club
Leadership Camp
HS clubs
Orientation leader
Hospital Volunteering


I really thought my vet hours were going to bring me down! We only have 2 clinics in my home town and they are both extremely busy with little time for students. I was lucky to get any hours at all! But I ended being above average among other applicants of my province in all 5 sections of my application, including Extracurriculars which means they are not focusing so much on vet hours. I think being well-rounded and involved in the community/high school/university is extremely important!!

Good luck to other AVC applicants and if you are thinking of studying in your second language, IT IS POSSIBLE!!! :thumbup: :D
 
Wow Aspire! Killer academics and GRE Quant score. Way to go :D
 
Hey all,

Congrats on everyone's acceptances!!! I image in everyone's incredibly excited :)

Also wanted to say seeing everyone's stats and stories this week was encouraging. Makes me feel a little better about my chances (hopefully) :xf:

I'm applying for the class of 2018 this year as a first time applicant. I won't post everything here, but here's a little about me:

Male, 22, TN resident
Penn State class of 2013 (graduating this December)
Animal science major, Spanish minor

Cumulative GPA: 3.80

Science GPA: 3.64-ish (may vary depending on how schools count it)

GPA from this past year: 3.73

GRE: taking it August 15th... :scared: realistically I'd hope to get mid to high 150s

Applying to: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio State, Iowa State, Missouri, Glasgow, and Tennessee

Experiences: Lots to say here...quite a few scholarships and academic awards, two summers of research experience (with animals), about three years of veterinary clinic experience (mostly small, but some large and exotic mixed in there), mostly small animal exposure along with large animal/equine exposure (from research, volunteering, class stuff, extracurriculars, etc.), have traditionally had lots of extracurricular involvement ever since high school which has brought out some leadership experiences

Miscellaneous: Always had a passion for visual and performing arts as well as science. Some artsy hobbies include drawing, music, dance, photography, and video making...as for other general stuff, I'd consider myself a team player and I value the diversity of my peers, but also work well independently

Letters of Recommendation: Three from professors with veterinary degrees (one of which still practices with the research animals at my school), one from the veterinary research scientist I worked with this summer

Personal Statement: I basically told a story starting with a present-day conversation I had with a friend about his dog and connected it back to when I first became interested in animals and continued from that point forward...highlighting my more notable animal and veterinary experiences along the way and what I gained from them (it's more exciting than it sounds...I did A LOT of revisions and had plenty of feedback)

So...yeh I guess I'd just like to weigh my chances a little bit...
 
Finally posting this - I kept thinking if I did it earlier somehow the offer would be withdrawn.

29 years old, 3rd time applicant, Wisconsin resident.

BA Psychology 2005

1st application 2011:
Applied: Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota
I received an interview offer at Minnesota but had to decline since I received a D in Ochem that fall, which meant I couldn't take Biochem in the spring. After getting the D I withdrew my apps.

2nd application 2012:
Applied: Wisconsin, Minnesota, K-State
Rejected: Everywhere

3rd application 2013:
Applied: Wisconsin, Minnesota, K-State, Illinois
Rejected: Wisconsin, Minnesota
Interviewed: K-State, Illinois
Accepted: K-State, Illinois

Cumulative GPA: 3.55
Science GPA: 3.4
Last 45: 3.5
GRE: Verbal 158, Quantitative 155, Analytical 5.0

Veterinary Experience:
-Shadowing large animal vet - 40 hrs
-Assist at spay/neuterathon for cats - 20 hrs
-Assisted at low income vet clinic (small animal) in Panama - 40 hrs
-Assistant at small animal clinic - 1600 hrs

Animal Experience:
-Farm sanctuary volunteer - 40 hrs
-Cat rescue volunteer - 200 hrs
-Worked at doggie daycare - 1600 hrs
-Animal shelter volunteer - 800 hrs
-Pit Bull rescue volunteer - 1000 hrs

Employment:
-Human Resources - 6 years
-Retail - 4 years (all through undergrad)
-Various summer day camp jobs

Awards:
-Deans List several times in undergrad
-Several HR work-related awards

eLORS:
-Vet that I worked with as an assistant
-Immunology professor
-Large animal vet that I shadowed several times
-Doggie daycare manager
-Boss from current HR job (to talk about how I balanced work and school)

When I first applied in 2011 my GRE was abysmal. I didn't study for it at all and was in the 25th percentile for one section. Since I had been offered an interview I thought I would be okay for the following year (not factoring in that Ochem wrecked havoc on my GPA). Prior to Ochem my last 45 credits had been around 3.9. I received a D in Ochem, retook for a B-, then received a C in Ochem 2. I didn't do a file review which was a bad idea.

In 2012 I was rejected everywhere without any interview offers. I did file reviews with the schools and they all said my GRE was what weeded me out. I retook the GRE and got two acceptances for 2013.

In my personal statement I started with a story of a pit bull that came into the rescue I volunteered with and how the interaction between him and the vet he saw made me want to become a vet. I explained how I had been pre-vet when I first started out but got off course. I also brought things up that I do in HR that will be relevant to my career in vet med. I gave a couple more specific examples from my experiences shadowing/working with vets to show that I understood what the profession was about and why it was an appealing career choice to me.

It has definitely been a long road getting here but I am so excited/scared out of my mind for school to start in a few weeks.
 
I'm sure no one is reading this thread anymore as it's so late in the application cycle but I've been waiting a long time to post on here, so...This has been a very long and at times, heartbreaking journey for me, but I can FINALLY say I've been ACCEPTED!!!

Female, 28 Florida resident
Nontraditional, 3rd time applicant

1st Cycle: C/O 2015

Applied: UF, VMRCVM
Interviewed: UF
Rejected: both

2nd Cycle: C/O 2016

Applied: UF, UT
Interviewed: UF
Rejected: both

3rd Cycle: C/O 2017
Applied: UF, MSU (Mississippi), UMN, Ross
Interviewed: MSU, Ross
Waitlisted: MSU
Accepted: Ross

Attending: Ross University SVM!!

CUM GPA: 3.42
Science: 3.5
Last 45th: 3.5
GRE (taken 5 times!!!): V: 156 Q: 153 A: 4.0 ~ Equivalent: 1200

eLORS:
Director of the wildlife hospital where I worked for 7 years
Vet/Owner of animal clinic where I currently work
2 other vets at animal clinic where I currently work
President of the board of directors of the wildlife hospital where I worked
(I had no academic eLORS as I had been out of school for so long and had moved away from the state where I attended college)

Veterinary Experience:
4000+ hours Veterinary Technician at small animal clinic
100+ hours assisting volunteer vets with wildlife medicine
20 hours large animal medicine

Animal Experience:
4000+ hours wildlife rehabilitator at a wildlife hospital
500+ hours wildlife hospital intern and volunteer
600+ hours assisting local shelters and fostering and placing cats
600+ hours riding dressage
50 hours zoo/wildlife, Virginia Living Museum volunteer

Employment:
2009-present veterinary technician @ a small animal clinic
2005-2012 wildlife hospital rehabilitator
2007-2011 substitute teacher
2005-2007 resident assistant at my college
2004-2007 front desk coordinator at a residence hall at my college
various other high school jobs (i.e. babysitting, waitressing, lifeguard, etc.)

Extracurricular Activities:
Piano
Reading
Photography
Bird Watching
Boating
Lobster Diving
Fishing


I just wanted to say that Ross was never my first choice for vet school but they are giving me the chance that no one else would and I'm so thankful to them for that. I actually applied there after I found out that I was at the bottom of the waitlist at Mississippi, which at that time, was my last hope. To anyone else that may be in the same situation as me: if you want this bad enough, make it happen for yourself.


I'm REALLY shocked you didnt get into UF! I am however very proud of you (even though I dont know you) that you are grabbing the bull by the horns and doing what you want to do!
 
Second time applicant, 23 years old, OR resident (recently moved to OR this year for employment and BF) and VA resident, BS in Animal Science c/o 2011 (GPA at the time was a 3.19)

---------------------First Cycle, c/o 2016:

Applied:
Oregon State (OOS), VMRCVM (IS), Iowa State, Kansas State, Illinois, Tufts, Florida, Auburn, Penn, Minnesota, Purdue
Rejected: VMRCVM (IS), Iowa State, Kansas State, Illinois, Tufts, Florida, Auburn, Penn, Minnesota, Purdue (so lets say practically everywhere)
Interview Waitlist (until nothing opens up, then to be rejected): Iowa State
Waitlisted: Oregon State

Retook 2 semesters of physics to improve from C+’s to A’s… some schools average (Av.) the scores, some replace the scores (R.), some wont look at them (Nada).

Cumulative GPA: 3.25 - 3.3
Science GPA: depends on the school, 3.1 is probably the average evaluation for me
Last 45 GPA: 3.47
GRE: Q-570 (40%), V-540 (73%), W-3.5 (26%) …I took it 3x at this point

---------------------Second Cycle, c/o 2017:

Applied: Oregon State (IS), VMRCVM (IS), Iowa State, Kansas State, Western, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State
Interview Waitlist (until nothing opens up, then to be rejected): Kansas State (declined before they would reject me officially), VMRCVM
Rejected: VMRCVM, Oklahoma State
Interviews: Oregon State, Iowa State, Mississippi State (declined), Western
Waitlisted: Iowa State
Accepted: Western, Oregon State, Iowa State (off of Waitlist)
Attending:
OREGON STATE!!!!! :biglove:

Finished some prerequisites then retook biochemistry to improve from C to A-. Some schools average (Av.) the scores, some replace the scores (R.), some wont look at them (Nada).

Cumulative GPA: 3.3(Av.) - 3.4(R.)
Science GPA: VMRCVM(Nada)-2.9, Iowa State(Av.)-3.12, Oregon State(R.?)-calculates multiple science GPAs, Kansas State(R.)-3.26, Mississippi(R.)-?, Oklahoma-?, Western(R.)->3.3?
Last 45 GPA: 3.67 (ISU for sure) or 3.85 (depends on the school’s policy)
GRE: Q-154 (60%), V-154 (61%), W-4 (49%) …my 4th try.

Veterinary Experience:
5000 hours of SA preventative med
650 hours of oncology research (studying cancer in dogs as a translational model for humans)
460 hours of equine emergency, some volunteering but mostly working as an operating room assistant
**350 hours of non-human primate research at time of interviews, didnt have this experience when I submitted my application this year (I tried to insert this information into the interviews)
240 hours at time of application **(total of 420 at time of interviews) SA emergency medicine, also received exposure to wildlife and exotics at this practice
135 hours of parasitology research (studied parasitic loads of piscivorous birds)
60 hours of internal medicine shadowing
30 hours of oncology shadowing

Animal Experience:
100+ hours of horseback riding and volunteering at a pay-to-ride
135 hours of working at a parrot specialty store where we hand reared chicks
70 hours of volunteer therapeutic horseback riding
A number of hours pet sitting SA, snakes, and birds

Other Experience:
70 hours as a docent for the forensic anthropology exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History
25 hours as a volunteer teacher’s assistant at the SMART (Saturday Morning Art) program at my university

Honors/Awards honors:
Published as co-author for parasitology research
Presented oncology research at the Undergraduate Research Forum
Honor roll for the last few semesters of undergraduate education
Listed things from high school like attending the governors school for visual arts, congressional recognition for visual art, photograph selected for AOL calendar, honorable mention at the county art show, elected president of NAHS

eLORS:
DVM from SA preventive medicine I had worked with for 8 years
DVM from SA prevenative medicine I had worked with for 4 years
DVM/PhD Veterinary Oncology Professor I had known from my research for 5 years
Biotechnology Professor
Parasitology/Independent study Professor

The hard work pays off!!! I promise :)
If you don't mind me asking, how were you in-state in two colleges?
 
If you don't mind me asking, how were you in-state in two colleges?
Just as a heads up, that poster hasn't posted in over a year so you probably won't get a response. Not sure I've ever seen anyone claim in-state status for two states so I can't answer that question either. As far as I know you can only be a resident of one state.
 
You can be in-state at Ohio and another state if you graduated high school in Ohio and currently live in another state. Ohio has a program called "Forever Buckeye" that lets anyone who graduated high school in Ohio claim in-state tuition at any public university or college in Ohio at any point in the future. The only other requirement is that you establish a residence in Ohio by the time classes start. This works for any level of degree, too, including DVM.

I contacted Ohio State about being considered an Ohio resident despite not living in Ohio based on that program and it worked for me. It took a bit of back and forth with emails and phone calls, and I had to track down a copy of my high school transcript, but it worked out in the end.

Maybe other states have similar programs?
 
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Thank you for your kind words. I just want everyone who is an aspiring veterinary student to know that you shouldn't be too hard on yourself. My dirty little secret is that I withdrew from 11 courses throughout my academic career, and six of those times was for Chem I. Yes, six! :eek: Someone said that it may take you hitting rock bottom before you're spurred into action, and this was very true for me. Lots of times I fretted because of my GPA and lack of veterinary experience, but I stayed true to myself and didn't apologize for my past.

Just stay calm and you'll get through it. Just stay cool and you'll finish anything, The only thing that matters is that you never quit.

Good luck everyone, and I can't wait to learn more about the incoming classes!! (Especially KSU :love: )




Hi! Was the only reason Western said you weren't interviewed or accepted www because of you
 
Hi! Was the only reason Western said you weren't interviewed or accepted www because of you


Sorry was because of your letter not being turned in on time? How many W's did you have on your record? Curious because I currently have a couple..
 
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