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Also, don't hesitate to talk to the admissions office if you have questions about the process. Dr. Foreman is a great resource.
What are my chances?
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- #prevet #whataremychances #whatshouldido abroad admissions advice advice needed animal science applicant applicant profile application application 2018 application advice application consultant applying applying to vet school average gpa bad gpa chance me chance of acceptance chance of admission chances chances 2017 class of 2022 cumulative gpa deciding discouraged dream dvm experience experience hours failed classes gap year gpa gpa advice grad applicant grades gre help in state in state vs out of state large animal leadership london low gpa low gpa chance new out of state out of state applicant perspecitive post bacc post-grad pre vet pre vet program pre-vet pre-veterinary prevet advice preveterinary repeated course repeated courses ross student svm texas a&m texas applicants undergaduate vet vet acceptance vet advise vet experience vet help vet hours vet med vet school vet school application veteinary veterinarian veterinary veterinary education veterinary experience veterinary school vmcas what are my chances
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yep definitely add illinois. I got in with a 3.4 cGPA and 3.3 sGPA also. I had 3.8 last 45 and yours is 4.0 so even better!
I heard that they like research hours too, which I had plenty of.
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Thanks for this! Illinois is definitely on my list now.
I do have a lot of paid research time in various science subjects, so hopefully that will help.
I also am going to be attending Tuft's AVM program. I'm thinking it can only help!
Hello All! I have a few "please give advice/feedback" questions!
This may be a silly question, but do you have to have a DVM as a reference to apply to vet school? I would like to apply to the CSU DVM/PhD program and would have 3 strong academic references (from my wildlife biology master's program and undergraduate research), but have limited experience doing vet work (not enough to feel comfortable asking for a reference).
Additionally, does anyone out there have an idea on stats for accepted dual degree candidates at CSU?
My background - what are my chances?
I have been pursuing a career in wildlife conservation and therefore have lots of experience handling wild animals (from hummingbirds to bighorn sheep) but no clinical experience. My experience that is actually supervised by a veterinarian is also low, somewhere around 200 hours, and is all wildlife-specific, as that is my interest in veterinary medicine. However, I have great grades (3.96 undergraduate, 4.0 graduate), strong GRE (>75% in all categories), and will likely have a parasitology publication and MS in wildlife biology by the time I apply.
Do I have a snowball's chance in Hell at getting in? Or do I just flat out need a ton more veterinary supervised experience?
This may be a silly question, but do you have to have a DVM as a reference to apply to vet school? I would like to apply to the CSU DVM/PhD program and would have 3 strong academic references (from my wildlife biology master's program and undergraduate research), but have limited experience doing vet work (not enough to feel comfortable asking for a reference).
Additionally, does anyone out there have an idea on stats for accepted dual degree candidates at CSU?
My background - what are my chances?
I have been pursuing a career in wildlife conservation and therefore have lots of experience handling wild animals (from hummingbirds to bighorn sheep) but no clinical experience. My experience that is actually supervised by a veterinarian is also low, somewhere around 200 hours, and is all wildlife-specific, as that is my interest in veterinary medicine. However, I have great grades (3.96 undergraduate, 4.0 graduate), strong GRE (>75% in all categories), and will likely have a parasitology publication and MS in wildlife biology by the time I apply.
Do I have a snowball's chance in Hell at getting in? Or do I just flat out need a ton more veterinary supervised experience?
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I know CSU applicants that have been accepted in past years on average have 1000 hrs vet and animal experience, so I'd recommend getting more in several areas (small animal, equine, large animal, etc). And to answer your first question, yes, many schools required a vet LOR. I can't remember if CSU specifically does, but I'd work on getting more hours so that you do have someone you're comfortable asking.
Hi, this may seem a bit ahead of myself but right now I'm a junior in college and I'm trying to think about my chances of getting into vet school. I will admit my stats are low (right now ~2.67 cumulative GPA, I haven't even tried my science, it's pretty pathetic). I'm working part-time at a vet's office and I intend to take a year off after graduation to try and gain more experience/retake classes. I haven't taken the GRE yet but I'm hoping if I do well that will hopefully balance out my low GPA a little (I don't expect it to do too much). I know a lot of places have a minimum gpa requirement of 2.8 or even 3.0 or higher, so I know my chances are low. Of course, I'm trying to improve my GPA by the time I graduate but I'm trying to be realistic and am playing devil's advocate for myself. Are there any recommendations as to next steps? Post-bac programs, etc? I looked into some post-bac programs but a lot them say they're designated for students who did not take science classes in undergrad and are looking to pursue a career in the health field, so I guess I don't qualify...
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Retaking classes and applying to schools that will do grade replacement is probably going to do more for you than a post-bacc would. As for which schools specifically do this...someone might know off of the top of their head, but I don't. You may need to look around at the school websites to make a list.
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What pre-requisites, and how many credits do you have left to complete for your bachelors? Why is your GPA so low? It's really hard to say without knowing more info. Doing graduate level work can definitely improve your application if your undergrad was less than stellar, but admissions for those programs is GPA based as well. Not as competitive as vet school - but you'll still have a hard time with a really low GPA.
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Which session of AVM are you doing? I'm doing it as well! I also applied to an equivalent program at UPenn but haven't heard back yet, so I don't think I'm going to do it.
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Hey everybody, I posted my own thread, but a reply told me this would be a good place to come and get some advice.
Here's where I stand.
Second semester junior (male) at a branch of the University of Pittsburgh.
I'm a PA resident and planned on applying to Penn, Ohio State, Washington State, Oregon State, University of Florida, and Midwestern in Phoenix. I've looked into Kansas State as well.
Stats- 3.4-3.5 cumulative GPA, Science should be a 3.4 or above, last 45 is definitely a 3.4 and or above, still need to get my spring semester grades to finalize these. I just know everything is a 3.4 and above. I haven't taken the GRE yet. Do vet schools look at individual grades? Would it look good that I've gotten As in bio 1, 2, genetics, chem 1,2, orgo 1,2, and stats? mostly Bs in other prereqs... or do they just look at GPAs and nothing in depth?
I grew up on a farm so that's at least 200 hours of large animal experience in the family farm section on VMCAS(if that's a thing), - I fed all of my animals, cared for ill ones, and assisted visiting veterinarians in procedures done on my animals, 100+ at an animal (dog/cat) shelter, 50+ at the time of application at a wildlife place, 500+ small animal veterinary as a tech and not even 1/5th of it is shadowing, and I project myself having 200+ of zoo animal experience through an internship this summer. I plan on shadowing/working at an equine hospital (if I get in) or continuing to shadow at the small animal practice I go to that accepts exotic patients, and practices TCVM.
Does anybody have any thoughts on if I will get into any of those schools, granted I do well on the GRE and get well written letters of recommendation, that I listed? I tried having some top tier, middle, and lower ranked schools to even myself out. I anticipated a higher GPA this semester to boost myself but then physics 2 happened.
I'd like to think if granted interviews I could convey my intents, interests, and passions for entering veterinary medicine- so much that it would overcome my lower scale GPA(s).
Here's where I stand.
Second semester junior (male) at a branch of the University of Pittsburgh.
I'm a PA resident and planned on applying to Penn, Ohio State, Washington State, Oregon State, University of Florida, and Midwestern in Phoenix. I've looked into Kansas State as well.
Stats- 3.4-3.5 cumulative GPA, Science should be a 3.4 or above, last 45 is definitely a 3.4 and or above, still need to get my spring semester grades to finalize these. I just know everything is a 3.4 and above. I haven't taken the GRE yet. Do vet schools look at individual grades? Would it look good that I've gotten As in bio 1, 2, genetics, chem 1,2, orgo 1,2, and stats? mostly Bs in other prereqs... or do they just look at GPAs and nothing in depth?
I grew up on a farm so that's at least 200 hours of large animal experience in the family farm section on VMCAS(if that's a thing), - I fed all of my animals, cared for ill ones, and assisted visiting veterinarians in procedures done on my animals, 100+ at an animal (dog/cat) shelter, 50+ at the time of application at a wildlife place, 500+ small animal veterinary as a tech and not even 1/5th of it is shadowing, and I project myself having 200+ of zoo animal experience through an internship this summer. I plan on shadowing/working at an equine hospital (if I get in) or continuing to shadow at the small animal practice I go to that accepts exotic patients, and practices TCVM.
Does anybody have any thoughts on if I will get into any of those schools, granted I do well on the GRE and get well written letters of recommendation, that I listed? I tried having some top tier, middle, and lower ranked schools to even myself out. I anticipated a higher GPA this semester to boost myself but then physics 2 happened.
I'd like to think if granted interviews I could convey my intents, interests, and passions for entering veterinary medicine- so much that it would overcome my lower scale GPA(s).
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The GPA is so-so. It's in the average range for a lot of schools; maybe a bit below. But not so far you should get anxious about it. Can't speak to those schools specifically, though if I had to guess I think Penn or OSU might be a stretch. I suspect some schools give some attention to individual grades, and some don't. The farm background will help you at many schools, and the rest of your experience also is useful/good. Don't make too much of the tech vs shadow stuff - it's not as important to schools as some people like to think.
Rather than apply to top/middle/lower rank schools, I would spend some time looking specifically at how schools evaluate students and find ones where you're a good fit.
Don't count on the interview like you are. Most places just give a certain amount of weight to the interview like they do other portions of the assessment. So a notion that you could 'squeak by' on the application and rock the interview and that would overcome weaknesses ..... while obviously doing well on the interview can/will help you, it won't make up for significant deficiencies elsewhere. Need to be a well-rounded applicant. But overall, you're on track for that.
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Hey pre-vetters!
Wanted to write a general response to some of the questions received here.
I was an applicant of the last cycle, this was my second application, I applied to my instate (madison) and an out of state (midwestern). I finally got into midwestern and will be attending mwu in the fall!
From my personal experience getting in, you need to show a real dedication to being a veterinarian, and that means getting hours of veterinary experience, learning from a vet; it will only help you in the long run! Since getting in is so competitive, your putting yourself at a disadvantage compared to other applicants that have more vet experience. Ideally, I think, a mix of large animal and small animal helps because you will be dealing with both in vet school.
One of the things that helped me was writing letters. If you want to highlight that you did well in your science courses, and your gpa might not reflect that, make sure to let them know.
I disagree about the previous comment about the interview, because personally that's where I think I sealed the deal for myself. If your granted an interview, they have already seen something in your application that they like, the interview is truly the chance for the school to get to know who you are. If there have been times academically you aren't proud of, you have the chance at the interview to explain yourself.
My gpa getting in was a 3.0 calculated by vmcas. I moved a few times in undergrad, failed a few classes, but I used this time to build up life experience. It's important to look at rough patches in your past as obstacles you over came not failures; be proud of your past! I was on a wait list for an interview, granted one of the last interview spots, then was put on the alternate list and survived a second wait list.
Getting into vet school is possible no matter what your background as long as you are truly passionate about what your doing. I'm living proof of that.
Wanted to write a general response to some of the questions received here.
I was an applicant of the last cycle, this was my second application, I applied to my instate (madison) and an out of state (midwestern). I finally got into midwestern and will be attending mwu in the fall!
From my personal experience getting in, you need to show a real dedication to being a veterinarian, and that means getting hours of veterinary experience, learning from a vet; it will only help you in the long run! Since getting in is so competitive, your putting yourself at a disadvantage compared to other applicants that have more vet experience. Ideally, I think, a mix of large animal and small animal helps because you will be dealing with both in vet school.
One of the things that helped me was writing letters. If you want to highlight that you did well in your science courses, and your gpa might not reflect that, make sure to let them know.
I disagree about the previous comment about the interview, because personally that's where I think I sealed the deal for myself. If your granted an interview, they have already seen something in your application that they like, the interview is truly the chance for the school to get to know who you are. If there have been times academically you aren't proud of, you have the chance at the interview to explain yourself.
My gpa getting in was a 3.0 calculated by vmcas. I moved a few times in undergrad, failed a few classes, but I used this time to build up life experience. It's important to look at rough patches in your past as obstacles you over came not failures; be proud of your past! I was on a wait list for an interview, granted one of the last interview spots, then was put on the alternate list and survived a second wait list.
Getting into vet school is possible no matter what your background as long as you are truly passionate about what your doing. I'm living proof of that.
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In response to grouse25,
Question: do you have to have a DVM as a reference to apply to vet school?
(Depends on the school. Always call the admissions office for answers, don't rely on what you read on the internet. This also goes for your classes. If your concerned about a course counting as a pre-req, email admissions and get your answer in writing. This will make sure you have no troubles with your credits if you get in.)
Question: I would like to apply to the CSU DVM/PhD program and would have 3 strong academic references (from my wildlife biology master's program and undergraduate research), but have limited experience doing vet work (not enough to feel comfortable asking for a reference). Additionally, does anyone out there have an idea on stats for accepted dual degree candidates at CSU?
(In response to the specifics in regards to csu, I would skim through the accepted applicant stats here on vmcas, looking at students that got into csu, or call admissions directly and talk then personally. If you set up a phone appointment and email them your stats, they can tell you your strengths and weaknesses.)
Question: My background - what are my chances?
I have been pursuing a career in wildlife conservation and therefore have lots of experience handling wild animals (from hummingbirds to bighorn sheep) but no clinical experience. My experience that is actually supervised by a veterinarian is also low, somewhere around 200 hours, and is all wildlife-specific, as that is my interest in veterinary medicine. However, I have great grades (3.96 undergraduate, 4.0 graduate), strong GRE (>75% in all categories), and will likely have a parasitology publication and MS in wildlife biology by the time I apply.
(Your gpa and gre are great, I would focus more on building up your vet experience to a point where you are comfortable asking for a recommendation.)
You won't know your chances until you apply! I would advise like I mentioned before to speak to the schools your interested in personally, they can offer you the best advice! Good luck!
Question: do you have to have a DVM as a reference to apply to vet school?
(Depends on the school. Always call the admissions office for answers, don't rely on what you read on the internet. This also goes for your classes. If your concerned about a course counting as a pre-req, email admissions and get your answer in writing. This will make sure you have no troubles with your credits if you get in.)
Question: I would like to apply to the CSU DVM/PhD program and would have 3 strong academic references (from my wildlife biology master's program and undergraduate research), but have limited experience doing vet work (not enough to feel comfortable asking for a reference). Additionally, does anyone out there have an idea on stats for accepted dual degree candidates at CSU?
(In response to the specifics in regards to csu, I would skim through the accepted applicant stats here on vmcas, looking at students that got into csu, or call admissions directly and talk then personally. If you set up a phone appointment and email them your stats, they can tell you your strengths and weaknesses.)
Question: My background - what are my chances?
I have been pursuing a career in wildlife conservation and therefore have lots of experience handling wild animals (from hummingbirds to bighorn sheep) but no clinical experience. My experience that is actually supervised by a veterinarian is also low, somewhere around 200 hours, and is all wildlife-specific, as that is my interest in veterinary medicine. However, I have great grades (3.96 undergraduate, 4.0 graduate), strong GRE (>75% in all categories), and will likely have a parasitology publication and MS in wildlife biology by the time I apply.
(Your gpa and gre are great, I would focus more on building up your vet experience to a point where you are comfortable asking for a recommendation.)
You won't know your chances until you apply! I would advise like I mentioned before to speak to the schools your interested in personally, they can offer you the best advice! Good luck!
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I feel like this is both good and not-so-good advice rolled into one. While I understand what your intent is, I think you are over estimating hours of experience. It isn't about the hours, it is about the quality, you can get 300 hours of experience and still have a really decent grasp on veterinary medicine and "learning" from veterinarians as you can from 2,000 hours. So, yes, more experience can't hurt (unless you are allowing your GPA suffer to get that experience). Most schools have a set amount of "points" they award to each section and usually GPA and GRE are awarded the most points. So, 10,000 hours while great, isn't going to make up for a 2.8 GPA. Especially when you have numerous very qualified applicants with 3.7 GPA's, high GRE's and a few hundred hours of experience. Vet school admissions are very much about the bigger picture and not just one small area. Also, you can show a dedication to veterinary medicine without having super high experience hours. Showing that you understand veterinary medicine is a science-based career and proving that you can do well in the 4 years of vet school by dedicating yourself to undergrad studies and volunteering goes a long way. So while I agree that more experience doesn't hurt and is a good thing, it shouldn't be the sole focus nor should it be pushed as a way to make up for low GPA's. You need to prove you can hack it academically because you HAVE to be able to understand the material in vet school to be a veterinarian. Having seen a spay 500 times doesn't mean you can do one, you need to understand the anatomy, physiology, surgery, and anesthesia before you can successfully complete the spay. Which means you need to prove to admissions that you have what it takes to effectively learn that information.
Actually, LIS is dead-on about the interview thing... even if you rock the interview and the admissions committee thinks you are the greatest thing since Betty White.. they can only award so many points to the interview.. so someone with a high GPA who also rocks the interview and has decent experience is going to be more likely to get that spot. Granted, not all schools award points, but generally they have some way of weighting each section of the application... you have to pass the other sections to get to the interview and while you can try to score high on the interview, it may not be enough.
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Hey Guys, I just wanted to put it out there that I am a current veterinary student at Tufts University. I got interviews at all the schools I applied to, and was accepted to all the school I interviewed at. I know how tough the application process can be and just wanted to let you know that you can message me directly on SDN and I may be able to help. I also worked my butt of to get into vet school, so though it may sound like it, I am not one of those genius people who don't need to try.
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I also want to add that interviews don't always work out the way you'd think/hope. I bombed (or felt like I did...) my Illinois interview and nailed (....or though I did) my UF interview. I'm accepted at UI and waitlisted at UF. So that goes to show you how different schools will look at the same person/application, and how interviews won't always be a deciding factor. Do your best to avoid putting all of your eggs in one basket like that.
Like LIS said, your GPA is okay-not good, not great. Average. You'll need quality hours, a good GRE, and a memorable essay/letters to help you out here. Play to your strengths, which will require a lot of research on your part. Also, I agree with LIS that OSU might be a bit of a stretch with your academic stats. They have pretty high standards over there.
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I'm in the c/o 2020 cycle and am planning on applying to Tufts, UPenn (my instate), Cornell (maybe), CSU, and UF (maybe). I go to a pretty non-traditional school that doesn't have the typical semester/credit system so I can't say what my "last 45" gpa is, nor can I say what my science gpa is, but my cumulative gpa is around a 3.7 (maybe a 3.6, not entirely sure). I have around 1,000 hours of SA experience, and 100 of LA, and will be interning at a shire draught horse farm this summer, learning to train the horses, drive the carriages, and also being an assistant/tech to their vet. I have a TON of marine mammal and necropsy experience, and will be presenting a poster on my seal wounds research that I did at a national seal conference. I haven't taken the GRE yet, but I'm planning on taking it in June. Do you think I stand a chance? I'm doing the Tufts AVM program this summer and will have a chance to meet with an admissions counselor which is awesome. Do you think being there will help my chances of being accepted? Tufts is definitely my #1 choice. Thank you! 
As a pet store owner(including grooming and dog training), what is my chance of getting into vet schools(both U.S and Caribbean)?
I have a bachelor degree of computer science and taken all pre-med courses at NYU. My science gpa is about 3.3, but overall gpa is 3.0.
I have a bachelor degree of computer science and taken all pre-med courses at NYU. My science gpa is about 3.3, but overall gpa is 3.0.
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I can't see that owning a pet store will greatly affect your chances of getting into vet school. Do you have any experience working with or shadowing for a veterinarian? I believe all schools require that you have some experience in the field.
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@batsenecal is a great person to answer that.
I think that if you chose to make your pet store ownership a major talking point in your application, you should be prepared to be 'drilled' about that in any interviews you get. Not that anyone is going to talk down to you (hopefully), but you should be prepared to explain the roles a veterinarian can play in the pet store industry, problem pet stores, and possibly dip into animal rights vs. welfare/PETA. Although I feel that most interviewers would want to avoid using your interview slot as an opportunity to debate...
If anything, your GPA might be the thing that holds you back a bit, not your pet store ownership.
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Thanks @pinkpuppy9 for tagging me.
Hey Toby! My family also owns pet stores (though we are just in the sales market, no grooming or training). So far, I have been told by every school that owning a pet store has not hindered me as far as the negative stigma that is a part of the business. My stats are a bit better than yours and I majored in biology, and was waitlisted at Kansas my first year and "waitlisted to be waitlisted" this year. I was asked at my Kansas interview what pet stores were like 100 years ago (my family has owned them for 109 years this year) and was asked my perspective on the Animal Rights vs Animal Welfare debate, which was my favorite question I was asked (got way too into it and the discussion that followed).
My big suggestion to you is to not use your application as a standing point to be "Pro Pet Store". I get on my soapbox and I never get off, so it was a struggle when we were talking about rights vs welfare, but they were super cool.
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I am a pre-veterinary student, an under-grad sophomore. My grades are average. I excel in biology, my official major, but I struggle in general chemistry (I'm getting better though). My gpa was a 3.0, but a calculus class and a chemistry class brought it down to a 2.5 last semester. However, I have what I assume is good experience. I eventually hope to work with large farm animals, especially horses. I have been around horses my entire life, starting to ride when I was 5. I currently give lessons as well as train horses and work with problematic horses, usually emotionally damaged. I have experience caring for wounds and diseases and I have kept a journal of all my work. I have a "chapter" dedicated to each rider, training horse, "problem" horse, medications, feed, and much more. I have a good amount of experience with small animals as well. I train border collies in herding and agility. Because of this, I have to know the signs of injuries and sicknesses as well as how to handle an aggressive dog. I know grades are a huge factor in getting in to a veterinary program, but would my experience and passion help me much? Please be honest! Thank you!
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You are going to have a very tough time getting in with a 2.5, as most schools have a gpa cutoff of 3.0 (I think the lowest I've seen is 2.75). Some schools don't have a cutoff but I don't know off the top of my head which ones those are. Is there any way you can retake some classes to bring your gpa up? Doing that and applying to schools that do grade replacement would probably be your best bet. Your experiences sound nice but generally experience isn't going to make up for a gpa that low, as vet school is a rigorous academic program and the adcoms need to know that you can handle the coursework.
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I'm only a sophomore, so I have two more years to boost my gpa. Hopefully I can do so.
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Like WildZoo stated, you are going to have a very tough time with a 2.5GPA. Also, while the experience you have is great, it isn't veterinary experience (from what I can tell). Do you have any experience spending time with vets through shadowing/volunteering/working? Because animal experience, while important, isn't the same as veterinary experience.
And while being passionate is great, it isn't going to get you into vet school. You have to show that you can understand and make it through the rigorous science program that is vet school.
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Ah I missed that line. So yes, you can boost it. How difficult that will be will depend on how many credits you've already taken and how many you have left to take. You really want to be shooting for A's from here on out though. You can do some calculations here to get an idea of what you can raise you GPA to with enough hard work. http://gpacalculator.net/how-to-raise-gpa/
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I know people who got into Ross' vet prep program with a 2.7 or 2.8 GPA, and one guy who got in the vet school proper with a 2.8. Now, he had a ton of vet experience and did very well on the GRE.
What I did to improve my chances the second time around was retake courses, plain and simple. Summer courses can be really awesome because you're only focusing on one or two at a time, and while some schools will average the two grades, others will replace an old grade with a new one. Focus on classes worth a lot credit hour wise; an A in a 1 hour course is not going to help as much as an A in a 3 or 4 hour course. Chemistry is hard, but it's a huge part of the science GPA, so you may need to re-take some of those courses. Higher level courses are better post-graduation because that level of coursework is closer to what you'd experience in vet school.
You'll also need to get loads of experience with different kinds of vets, and make sure you have vets (and others) who can write you strong references.
Honestly, post-bacc programs and grad school are options, but they're more expensive than retaking courses. Some schools will let you take on the role of guest student after graduation and take courses; that's what I did. There's no financial aid for that, but it's STILL more cost effective.
Hey everyone!
So I'm new to this site and still trying to figure everything out but I thought I would give it a try. Im 22 years old University student in Canada who would like to get into veterinary school but have a first concerns. First off I will admit that my grades during my 1st and 2nd year at school were not the best as a matter of fact, they were pretty terrible. That being said I've been putting a lot more effort into the school for my 3rd and 4th year and have been doing ALOT better (even top of my class in some of my courses). I should be graduating my undergrad now but I'm taking a 5th year at my school to improve upon my past grades. Now I know I won't be accepted to Guelph University so I'm planning on applying to schools all over the world. Im really terrified however that I won't be accepted. What would be my next steps? I really want to be a Vet there is nothing else I want more and I'm determined to make it. But if i don't get accepted my first time what should I do? Will pursuing a tech position help in anyway? Or should I continue toward a Masters etc? If someone could give me some advise that would be greatly appreciated.
P.s I've been working at a veterinary hospital now for the past 6 years and I'm still there now. I am both a veterinary assistant and the receptionist who works both full time and part time during school so I do have quite a bit of experience. Ive also worked at barns + equine hospital and have had personal experience owning many different types of animals.
So I'm new to this site and still trying to figure everything out but I thought I would give it a try. Im 22 years old University student in Canada who would like to get into veterinary school but have a first concerns. First off I will admit that my grades during my 1st and 2nd year at school were not the best as a matter of fact, they were pretty terrible. That being said I've been putting a lot more effort into the school for my 3rd and 4th year and have been doing ALOT better (even top of my class in some of my courses). I should be graduating my undergrad now but I'm taking a 5th year at my school to improve upon my past grades. Now I know I won't be accepted to Guelph University so I'm planning on applying to schools all over the world. Im really terrified however that I won't be accepted. What would be my next steps? I really want to be a Vet there is nothing else I want more and I'm determined to make it. But if i don't get accepted my first time what should I do? Will pursuing a tech position help in anyway? Or should I continue toward a Masters etc? If someone could give me some advise that would be greatly appreciated.
P.s I've been working at a veterinary hospital now for the past 6 years and I'm still there now. I am both a veterinary assistant and the receptionist who works both full time and part time during school so I do have quite a bit of experience. Ive also worked at barns + equine hospital and have had personal experience owning many different types of animals.
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First piece of advice I have for you is to apply smart. Look up each schools requirements and how they weight certain things. Some schools put more emphasis on your last 45 credits (UMN and I think KSU come to mind). Some calculate GPAs only based on pre-requisite coursework, some use all of your science classes, etc. Some put more emphasis on the GRE (which if you do really well on can help you). It might be a lot of legwork to figure out where you have the best shot but it might be worth it at the end.
If you don't get accepted anywhere, do file reviews at the schools. They will give you advice on where your application needs improvement. That being said, I don't think pursuing a tech position will help unless you are thinking that might be an acceptable "back up plan" for you. Likewise, I personally wouldn't recommend getting a Masters unless it's for something you could see yourself doing career-wise as another back up plan.
It's great that you have a lot of experience, that will definitely help. Another thing that you might want to consider is widening your experience to include species outside of small animals (assuming you've been working at a small animal hospital). Shadow some large animal vets, maybe get involved with research with one of your professors at your school, etc.
I don't really know why you're convinced you won't get in at Guelph (I'm assuming you're looking at the stats and if so, that's fine I believe you) but you should definitely take into account the tuition prices at schools as well as their applicant stats. Especially as a Canadian student I believe it is more difficult to acquire loans for school. There's no use throwing money down the drain on an application to a school you ultimately couldn't go to because you can't afford it. Don't waste the time and effort and application fees to apply to schools you wouldn't attend if you were accepted.
Hope that helps
First piece of advice I have for you is to apply smart. Look up each schools requirements and how they weight certain things. Some schools put more emphasis on your last 45 credits (UMN and I think KSU come to mind). Some calculate GPAs only based on pre-requisite coursework, some use all of your science classes, etc. Some put more emphasis on the GRE (which if you do really well on can help you). It might be a lot of legwork to figure out where you have the best shot but it might be worth it at the end.
If you don't get accepted anywhere, do file reviews at the schools. They will give you advice on where your application needs improvement. That being said, I don't think pursuing a tech position will help unless you are thinking that might be an acceptable "back up plan" for you. Likewise, I personally wouldn't recommend getting a Masters unless it's for something you could see yourself doing career-wise as another back up plan.
It's great that you have a lot of experience, that will definitely help. Another thing that you might want to consider is widening your experience to include species outside of small animals (assuming you've been working at a small animal hospital). Shadow some large animal vets, maybe get involved with research with one of your professors at your school, etc.
I don't really know why you're convinced you won't get in at Guelph (I'm assuming you're looking at the stats and if so, that's fine I believe you) but you should definitely take into account the tuition prices at schools as well as their applicant stats. Especially as a Canadian student I believe it is more difficult to acquire loans for school. There's no use throwing money down the drain on an application to a school you ultimately couldn't go to because you can't afford it. Don't waste the time and effort and application fees to apply to schools you wouldn't attend if you were accepted.
Hope that helps
thank you for your advice !
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Without knowing your stats, it's hard to say. What's your overall GPA? Math and science GPA? Have you taken the GRE?
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@LadyV442 , before you apply elsewhere, I would strongly recommend that you don't just assume you won't get into Guelph. The tuition differential is substantial enough that it's worth applying to Guelph at least a few times before looking elsewhere. Finish your fifth year, then give Guelph a few shots, doing file reviews to find out where you stand. Applying to other countries isn't just a matter of getting accepted. SGU lists total costs as 49,000, plus living expenses. Canadians are not guaranteed cost of attendance through government loans, and you may or may not get a private line of credit substantial enough to make up the difference.
So my overall GPA is sitting around a 75% but keep in mind I'm re-doing essentially my entire 1st and 2nd year to raise my grades (I'm aiming to have a 85% or higher when I'm finished retaking everything). I have not done the GRE yet but I'm planning to do GRE + the MCAT within the next year.
Thanks for the advice! I wasn't going to apply to Guelph due to their policies about re-taking courses. From what I've learned about Guelph is that they don't accept credits that are retaken so truthfully I just assumed that I have already blown my chances.
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I've guages my chances here before, but it's time to be realistic. Class of 2020 applicant.
First time. Traditional, 21 year old female.
Louisiana Resident.
cGPA: 3.4
science: 3.5
Last 45: 3.7
GRE: TBA
All stats will jump at least .1 if I don't get in this year and apply for 2021. I have 3 C's (freshman year) and 2 W's. The W's are from this semester
Academic:
Honors student at a small liberal arts college, almost all of my prereq science and math classes have been honors classes
Several scholarships
Honors list fall 2012
Deans list fall 2013-fall 2014
Will make deans list this semester as well, presidents list if I can keep my A in statistics.
Extracirricular/work/service:
Hostess at a restaurant for a year
740 hours mixed animal clinic-paid
3 years volunteering with a local rescue, and this year I started serving as a board member and running the spay neuter program for my parish (that's what we call counties in the boot, ahem)
Senator for the SGA, put on a service wide campus event this semester. Will have done two years by graduation next spring
Was in the vet tech program for a year, was a member of the vet tech club and served as a historian
*My time in the vet tech program gave me exposure to basically every area of vet med, but I don't think I can include that as experience because it was for class work!
Member of the campus feminist majority alliance, 3 years
Member of the student governing body for my honors program, year and a half hopefully if I make it on again
Blue key honor society, just accepted!
Research:
Chem research, will probably have around 800 hours by graduation
If this is worth noting... Thousands of hours of pet ownership: dogs, cats, exotic birds, saltwater fish, you name it!
My school list: LSU, midwestern, Miss st, and Michigan st. I'm considering a pharmacology residency but am not sure.
Freshman year was an adjustment and I floundered academically. I've never been away from home and I've never had to study. I had to learn how in college. My cGPA dropped to 2.8 and I had to appeal to keep my scholarships, but I turned it around and got my tail in high gear. Since then, my gpa has stayed above 3.6 each semester, and I'm hoping to have a 3.6 by graduation. I'm miles from where I started as a student and a person.
I also know I need a lot more animal experience... But there is hardly any opporutnites in my small college town. It's saturated with vet tech students. Don't get me wrong though, the technician program at my school is incredible. It's taught by veterinarians and every vet in my state fights over hiring graduates. They're all very skilled!
Fire away my friends!
First time. Traditional, 21 year old female.
Louisiana Resident.
cGPA: 3.4
science: 3.5
Last 45: 3.7
GRE: TBA
All stats will jump at least .1 if I don't get in this year and apply for 2021. I have 3 C's (freshman year) and 2 W's. The W's are from this semester
Academic:
Honors student at a small liberal arts college, almost all of my prereq science and math classes have been honors classes
Several scholarships
Honors list fall 2012
Deans list fall 2013-fall 2014
Will make deans list this semester as well, presidents list if I can keep my A in statistics.
Extracirricular/work/service:
Hostess at a restaurant for a year
740 hours mixed animal clinic-paid
3 years volunteering with a local rescue, and this year I started serving as a board member and running the spay neuter program for my parish (that's what we call counties in the boot, ahem)
Senator for the SGA, put on a service wide campus event this semester. Will have done two years by graduation next spring
Was in the vet tech program for a year, was a member of the vet tech club and served as a historian
*My time in the vet tech program gave me exposure to basically every area of vet med, but I don't think I can include that as experience because it was for class work!
Member of the campus feminist majority alliance, 3 years
Member of the student governing body for my honors program, year and a half hopefully if I make it on again
Blue key honor society, just accepted!
Research:
Chem research, will probably have around 800 hours by graduation
If this is worth noting... Thousands of hours of pet ownership: dogs, cats, exotic birds, saltwater fish, you name it!
My school list: LSU, midwestern, Miss st, and Michigan st. I'm considering a pharmacology residency but am not sure.
Freshman year was an adjustment and I floundered academically. I've never been away from home and I've never had to study. I had to learn how in college. My cGPA dropped to 2.8 and I had to appeal to keep my scholarships, but I turned it around and got my tail in high gear. Since then, my gpa has stayed above 3.6 each semester, and I'm hoping to have a 3.6 by graduation. I'm miles from where I started as a student and a person.
I also know I need a lot more animal experience... But there is hardly any opporutnites in my small college town. It's saturated with vet tech students. Don't get me wrong though, the technician program at my school is incredible. It's taught by veterinarians and every vet in my state fights over hiring graduates. They're all very skilled!
Fire away my friends!
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I counted my time in tech school. Not the lectures of course, but all of the time I spent working with live animals in labs. I called to verify and was told to count it as "veterinary experience" rather than "animal experience" because all of the classes were taught by veterinarians. Good luck!
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There are a lot of things to say here and I'm sure others will comment as well. Your story is very compelling and would amazing for an interview. I just worry about your cumulative GPA preventing you from getting the chance to tell it. Thinking as someone on admissions I would also be very concerned with the withdraws and may think you withdrew from a class because you couldn't handle the academic rigor. You can always get more experience with animals, but it's harder to change your academic standing. In my opinion the best thing you could do for yourself would be to KILL IT on the GRE's and get the best grades you can while still in school.
Something else that may benefit you is getting your name out there and making yourself known to professors/admin at LSU.
Something else that may benefit you is getting your name out there and making yourself known to professors/admin at LSU.
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Wow. I take that as a huge compliment! Thanks so much! I'm very insecure about my past mistakes and I don't talk about them a lot. So that is really great to hear!
Also, to clairofu for everyone, the W's were not from academic overload as much as they were a time conflict. It was a 2000 level science lab and lecture that I was actually doing very well in, but it was all conflicting with my reserach stuff and it wasn't classes I needed. It was just something that sounded interesting at the time!
I do feel the best about my chances at LSU because they do not look at cGPA. Only last 45 and required courses! It boils down to destroying the GRE and polishing myself as well as LORS and PS will allow.
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This is definitely something you could put in your explanation statement if you wanted
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This is definitely something you could put in your explanation statement if you wanted
Yes you can definitely do this. Realize wording is very important in the explanation statement. You should make it sound as professional as you can. Admissions application readers are not looking for excuses, they are looking for an explanation of discrepancies in your application. To all those who are writing explanation statements: make them succinct and reword so it doesn't sound like an excuse or complaint.
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Yup, you could cut it down to "I withdrew from such and such class because of a time conflict with my research."
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I posted this a while back but no one responded so I hope it's okay if I re-post?
What are my chances?
I'm in the c/o 2020 cycle and am planning on applying to Tufts, UPenn (my instate), Cornell (maybe), CSU, AVC, and UF (maybe). I go to a pretty non-traditional school that doesn't have the typical semester/credit system so I can't say what my "last 45" gpa is, nor can I say what my science gpa is, but my cumulative gpa is around a 3.7 (maybe a 3.65, not entirely sure). I have around 1,000 hours of SA experience, 100 of LA (shadowed a dairy cow vet in Italy), and will be interning at a shire draught horse farm this summer, learning to train the horses, drive the carriages, and also being an assistant/tech to their vet. I have a TON of marine mammal and necropsy experience, and have presented a poster on my seal wounds research that I did at a national seal conference. I haven't taken the GRE yet, but I'm planning on taking it in June. I'm doing the Tufts AVM program this summer and will have a chance to meet with an admissions counselor which is awesome because Tufts is definitely my #1 choice. Where do you think I stand? Thank you!
Also, as far as other animal experiences go, I'm currently doing a project for my animal behavior class with the same draught horses I will be working with this summer, and have done a physiological experiment on brown and green anoles for my environmental physiology class.
Does bunny-sitting my friend's rabbit for multiple months count as animal experience? What about cat-sitting a professor's cat? Or dog-walking an elderly couple's dog once a week?
What are my chances?
I'm in the c/o 2020 cycle and am planning on applying to Tufts, UPenn (my instate), Cornell (maybe), CSU, AVC, and UF (maybe). I go to a pretty non-traditional school that doesn't have the typical semester/credit system so I can't say what my "last 45" gpa is, nor can I say what my science gpa is, but my cumulative gpa is around a 3.7 (maybe a 3.65, not entirely sure). I have around 1,000 hours of SA experience, 100 of LA (shadowed a dairy cow vet in Italy), and will be interning at a shire draught horse farm this summer, learning to train the horses, drive the carriages, and also being an assistant/tech to their vet. I have a TON of marine mammal and necropsy experience, and have presented a poster on my seal wounds research that I did at a national seal conference. I haven't taken the GRE yet, but I'm planning on taking it in June. I'm doing the Tufts AVM program this summer and will have a chance to meet with an admissions counselor which is awesome because Tufts is definitely my #1 choice. Where do you think I stand? Thank you!
Also, as far as other animal experiences go, I'm currently doing a project for my animal behavior class with the same draught horses I will be working with this summer, and have done a physiological experiment on brown and green anoles for my environmental physiology class.
Does bunny-sitting my friend's rabbit for multiple months count as animal experience? What about cat-sitting a professor's cat? Or dog-walking an elderly couple's dog once a week?
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I posted this a while back but no one responded so I hope it's okay if I re-post?
What are my chances?
I'm in the c/o 2020 cycle and am planning on applying to Tufts, UPenn (my instate), Cornell (maybe), CSU, AVC, and UF (maybe). I go to a pretty non-traditional school that doesn't have the typical semester/credit system so I can't say what my "last 45" gpa is, nor can I say what my science gpa is, but my cumulative gpa is around a 3.7 (maybe a 3.65, not entirely sure). I have around 1,000 hours of SA experience, 100 of LA (shadowed a dairy cow vet in Italy), and will be interning at a shire draught horse farm this summer, learning to train the horses, drive the carriages, and also being an assistant/tech to their vet. I have a TON of marine mammal and necropsy experience, and have presented a poster on my seal wounds research that I did at a national seal conference. I haven't taken the GRE yet, but I'm planning on taking it in June. I'm doing the Tufts AVM program this summer and will have a chance to meet with an admissions counselor which is awesome because Tufts is definitely my #1 choice. Where do you think I stand? Thank you!
Also, as far as other animal experiences go, I'm currently doing a project for my animal behavior class with the same draught horses I will be working with this summer, and have done a physiological experiment on brown and green anoles for my environmental physiology class.
Does bunny-sitting my friend's rabbit for multiple months count as animal experience? What about cat-sitting a professor's cat? Or dog-walking an elderly couple's dog once a week?
Possibly no one responded because you are missing 3 of the 4 qualitative stats, so it's hard to say. The VMCAS website has instructions on how to calculate your GPA, and how to convert depending on how your school reports. It might be worthwhile to calculate and re-post with your stats.
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+1
Also, not to be nit-picky, but it's easier to see the big picture of your stats when it is in a more organized format rather than a block of rambling text. You can see examples in other posts in this thread, but something like
Applying to: [insert schools here]
Academics:
cGPA
science/pre-req GPA
last 45 GPA
GRE scores
Veterinary experience - [total hours]:
[Hours] - [category / role / description]
Animal Experience - [total hours]:
[Hours] - [brief description]
Research Experience:
[brief description]
Other work/Extracurriculars
Honors/Awards
eLOR writers
Other info (explanations, personal statement info, questions, etc)
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I posted this a while back but no one responded so I hope it's okay if I re-post?
What are my chances?
I'm in the c/o 2020 cycle and am planning on applying to Tufts, UPenn (my instate), Cornell (maybe), CSU, AVC, and UF (maybe). I go to a pretty non-traditional school that doesn't have the typical semester/credit system so I can't say what my "last 45" gpa is, nor can I say what my science gpa is, but my cumulative gpa is around a 3.7 (maybe a 3.65, not entirely sure). I have around 1,000 hours of SA experience, 100 of LA (shadowed a dairy cow vet in Italy), and will be interning at a shire draught horse farm this summer, learning to train the horses, drive the carriages, and also being an assistant/tech to their vet. I have a TON of marine mammal and necropsy experience, and have presented a poster on my seal wounds research that I did at a national seal conference. I haven't taken the GRE yet, but I'm planning on taking it in June. I'm doing the Tufts AVM program this summer and will have a chance to meet with an admissions counselor which is awesome because Tufts is definitely my #1 choice. Where do you think I stand? Thank you!
Also, as far as other animal experiences go, I'm currently doing a project for my animal behavior class with the same draught horses I will be working with this summer, and have done a physiological experiment on brown and green anoles for my environmental physiology class.
Does bunny-sitting my friend's rabbit for multiple months count as animal experience? What about cat-sitting a professor's cat? Or dog-walking an elderly couple's dog once a week?
It would help if you had an idea of your last 45 credit GPA and science GPA because you could have a pretty solid cumulative GPA (as you do) but if you have a very low science GPA it will raise eyebrows, and not in a good way. Your SA and LA hours are good. I also think getting some LA hours in Italy will make you stand out. The fact that you have non-SA/LA hours is also a plus.
The pet sitting and dog walking would go under animal experience on VMCAS.
DVM Dream is spot on - GPA, especially science GPA, is a good predictor of how you will do academically in a veterinary program - Hours of experience shows interest in being a vet - I can honestly say that DVM Dream offers some of the best advice that I have seen on SDN. Thousands of hours of experience without the grades is a tough sell for most admission committees.
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@DVMDream, you should write a guide on vet school admissions. Please include a section on how not to be a dingus on SDN.
Maybe, some day. Maybe I could get a vet school admin to review it for accuracy too.
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